Ninniku Miso-Zuke (Japanese Miso-Cured Garlic)

 

I'm not sure about you all but I've been absolutely dying the last few days from allergies. DYIN', I tell ya! I haven't had allergies this bad in at least 5+ years. They were so bad that I had to spend all of yesterday in bed sleeping. I felt like I was enduring some version of 50 Shades of Allergy Hell. I'd occasionally get up to slam some Allegra-D and Sinex or snort some Flonase, but nothing was working. I spent my day sucking on hits of  Cepacol Hydra drops like they were all-day suckers and at night...oh, the nights were the  worst! I ended up resorting to taking Nyquil (the dreaded green flavor even) so that I could get some relief from the incessant and unladylike hacking, gacking and occasional phlegm-laced vomiting. I was (am) a total mess.

Source: www.nataliedee.com

 

Today's the first real day that I could taste something so I decided to have some rice and ninniku miso-zuke (aka miso-cured garlic). The saltiness of the miso and the tempered bite of the garlic (which is simultaneously sweet and savory) tasted exquisite to my tongue which had been deprived of any flavor the last few days. Ninikku miso-zuke is super easy to make, you just need three basic ingredients: miso, mirin (a sweet rice-wine) and fresh garlic cloves. The hard part is just leaving the batch alone and allowing it to ferment. This summer I might try and be ambitious and try my hand at tofu misozuke, which I've heard people rave about and compare the texture to being like "triple cream blue cheese" or "a cross between butter and foie gras." How delicious does that sound?! I'll keep you posted if I get around to it.

Ninniku Miso-Zuke

Ingredients

handful of  fresh garlic cloves
1 cup miso paste- I prefer to use aka (red) miso, but a sweet shiro (white) or barley miso could be used too
1/4 c mirin
1 clean, dry wide-mouth quart jar

Instructions

1. Separate the garlic cloves. Trim the garlic ends, remove the outer skin and also peel off the thin filmy membrane layer.

2. Blanch garlic cloves for 1-2 minutes in unsalted water. Pull them out and pat dry them with a clean paper towel.

3. In a small bowl mix together your mirin and miso thoroughly.

4. Place a thin layer of miso at the bottom of your jar then make alternating layers of miso and garlic cloves. (Note: You don't want the cloves to touch.) Continue the layering process until you run out of ingredients or reach the top. Finish the top with a miso-mirin mixture layer and make sure all the garlic cloves are covered with miso.

5. Latch your jar and place it in the fridge. Allow it to pickle for at least 1 month. The garlic gets better with age. Keeps good up to 3-4 months.

6. When you're ready to eat the garlic, just pull out the amount you want to eat, rinse off the miso and serve. Use as an accompaniment to a meal or just eat them as a snack. I like to shove a few into the middle of my onigiris or dice it up and mix it with butter when I'm sautéing.

* Tip #1: As you clear each layer of garlic, the miso is still good and can be used in your recipes that call for miso.

* Tip #2: You can buy mirin and aka miso at most Asian speciality stores. For Sacramentans: Otos' Market on Freeport Blvd. carries both.

* Tip #3: Take the time to use fresh garlic in this recipe. The pre-peeled garlic that you can buy in bags at Costco and other grocery stores isn't as fresh and you'll notice a difference in taste.

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Pickled Easter Egg Radishes

 

Look at these colorful, little, roly-poly radishes! Cute, no? Well, they're called "Easter Egg Radishes"-- Seriously! That's their real name. These root veggies come in an array of brilliant colors (hot pink, crimson, creamy white and deep purple), are nice and crisp and have a very mild taste. They were just too adorable to pass up at the Co-Op, so I purchased a few and pickled them in a simple vinegar and sugar mixture. They just had to sit overnight and then were ready to be consumed. I've been throwing a few on my crudité platters, pairing them as a side with my sandwiches and even just snacking on them by themselves. They're so good (and much more waistline friendly then a chocolate Easter bunny). By the way, did you know radishes have their own holiday in Oaxaca, Mexico? It's called La Noche de Los Rabanos and is celebrated every year on December 23rd. How cool is that?

Pickled "Easter Egg" Radishes

Ingredients

1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar (champagne vinegar can be substituted)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 bunch of Easter Egg Radishes
4-5 spring red onions, greens removed and ends trimmed - (optional)

* Be sure to keep the greens from the radishes and the spring red onions, they're edible and delicious!


Instructions

1. Wash and dry radishes. Snip off tops and tails. Quarter or halve them (your choice).

2. In a medium sized saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar and water. Bring it to a nice boil. Stir the mixture frequently until all the sugar dissolves.

3. Remove saucepan from heat and let the mixture cool.

4. Place the cut radishes in a clean jar. I threw in a few spring red onions that I had laying around as well.

5. Pour the mixture over the radishes and onions. Cover with lid and ring.

6. Place in the fridge.

7. You can start eating them the next day. The pickled radishes will keep for 3-4 weeks.

Note: As the radishes sit in the vinegar-sugar mixture, the liquid will turn a vibrant pink/red. That's normal, don't worry.

Tip: If your radishes aren't as crisp as you'd like, drop them in some ice water and pop them in the fridge for about 15 minutes- they'll revive.

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Spicy Dilly Beans

Not too long ago I was sipping coffee with a few friends and mentioned how I had been invited to my first canning party and how excited I was to attend. One of my coffee buddies smiled and replied, "That's funny how everyone is doing a lot of the old fashioned stuff like canning and knitting. It makes me think of grandmas and makes me feel old." The comment stuck with me for a few days as I mulled it over. True, canning, knitting, gardening, cooking, etc. are rapidly rising in popularity again (just look at sites like Etsy, The Kitchn.com and Readymade if you need proof). I suppose the craft movement never truly disappeared but it has definitely reemerged into the spotlight in the past few years with the younger set. I think the resurgence in part can be attributed to the current economic climate. Without a lot of excess funds to fritter away, some people are turning to making their own products as a way to save pennies. Also for many, these activities are a great excuse to invite friends over and socialize while doing something constructive. I know these days I enjoy experimenting in the kitchen, harvesting my own veggies and learning how to can...if that makes me a "grandma," so be it. :)

Anyhow back to the canning party...unfortunately, I fell ill the day of the event and had to skip. Left with several pounds of green beans and no canning supplies, I decided to pickle the beans "refrigerator style" using this great dilly bean recipe I found on  a blog called Hell Yeah, It's Vegan (don't you just love that name?). To be safe, I sterilized the jars in the oven and boiled the rings and caps.  I also quintupled the recipe to make 5 jars worth.

Spicy Pickled Green Beans
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 clove garlic

1-2 chilis or 1 tsp red pepper flakes

dill

peppercorns

1 lb fresh green beans, rinsed and trimmed

1 c water

1 c white vinegar

2 tbsp kosher salt

Directions

- In a clean, odorless glass jar with a well-fitting lid, add garlic, dill, red pepper, and peppercorns to taste.

- Pack jar with green beans, fairly tightly, until full. In a medium saucepan, heat water, vinegar, and salt, stirring occasionally, until salt has fully dissolved.

- Slowly pour a small amount into the jar and shake it gently; the glass must be heated slowly so it doesn’t crack.

- Slowly add the rest of the liquid, leaving about ½” head space at the top of the jar.

- Let cool for an hour or two before placing the jar in the fridge.

- Refrigerate at least 1 week before consuming; they’ll get more pungent as they age, and can store just fine for months.

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