Kimchi

This recipe is (mostly) from the book, Wild Fermentation, which gives recipes for all sorts of basic fermented foods. Kimchi takes at least 5 days to ferment, but can be left in the fridge for as long as you can refrain from eating it!

1 head Napa or chinese cabbage
1 red onion
2 cloves elephant garlic or 1/2 a head of potent garlic
1 daikon radish, or a bunch of standard radishes
A few carrots
1 ginger root (about 5 inches long)
3-4 red hot chilies (or any other form of hot pepper: jalapeños (what I used), crushed pepper flakes, hot sauce, etc.)
Sea salt

Large, clean, bucket or crock, with lid and/or plate that fits INSIDE the crock.

Slice the cabbage as coarsely as you wish. I like to leave it in large chunks, each about an eighth of the cabbage, but it may not stay this way. Pack the cabbage tightly into the crock. Chop the onion, garlic, radish, carrots, and any other vegetables you wish to add, and pack them tightly in around the cabbage.
Sprinkle with sea salt. About 2 or 3 tablespoons will do. Pour 4 cups of water over, and top with a plate or lid.
If using a plate that fits snugly inside the crock, you can place weight on the vegetables (a jugful of water or heavy bowl) to ensure that all the vegetables remain submerged.
Leave overnight, or for up to 24 hours.
Grate the ginger, and puree or dice the chilies. Drain the salty brine off the cabbage reserving a cup or two, and rinse with water over a colander. Transfer back to bowl, and mix in the ginger and pepper.
Transfer kimchi to quart-sized mason jars. If there is no liquid, add a bit of reserved brine or water. Cover tightly with lids, and let sit at room temperature for up to a week.
Taste the kimchi, and when it has a bit of a bite, store it in the fridge, until ready to eat!

Nanaimo Bars

Slowly melt over low heat while whisking together:

1/2 c. butter
5 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

When butter has melted, stir in:

2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Pack mixture into ungreased 9"x9" pan. Place in refrigerator. Cream together in stand mixer:

1/4 c. butter (1/2 stick)
3 tbsp milk
2 1/2 tbsp Birds Custard Powder
2 c. confectioners sugar

Spread over crumb mixture in pan. Chill until firm. Over low heat or double boiler, melt:

1 tbsp butter
4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Spread over the chilled custard mixture. Chill until firm.

Cut into small bars/squares and serve.

Blueberry Mandarin Streusel Pie

Crust
1 package graham crackers (about 10 full crackers)
1 cup blueberry granola
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 tbsp brown sugar

Filling
4 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 can mandarin oranges
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
1/2 cup blueberry granola
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar

For crust:
Place graham crackers and granola in food processor or blender. Process until the mixture is the consistency of fine sand. Transfer to bowl. Stir in butter and sugar until all crumbs are moist.

For filling:
Preheat oven to 450˚F. Combine all filling ingredients in large bowl. Pour into unbaked pie crust. While pie is baking, mix streusel. Bake for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350˚F, and bake for another 15 minutes, add streusel and bake for 30 more minutes, for a total of 1 hour.

Streusel:
Combine all ingredients until clumpy. After pie has baked for 30 minutes, sprinkle over the top, and bake for 30 more minutes.

Cool for at least 30 minutes, and serve!

Baguette

1 1/2 cups room temperature water, milk, or whey
4 cups all purpose flour (or 3 c white flour and 1 c whole wheat, rye, or other flour)
1 tablespoon salt
1 packet yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

Combine flour, salt, and yeast in large mixing bowl for a stand mixer (if you don't have one, you can stir and knead by hand). Pour in water (or milk or whey). Mix on low speed for 12 minutes. If you don't have a stand mixer, stir the dough until it gets too hard to stir, then slap knead for 12-15 minutes, by slapping the dough against the counter and stretching it up, then folding it over, turning it, and repeating. Let rise in a greased bowl covered with a damp towel for 2 hours, or until doubled (a warmer air temperature will result in a faster rise. Do not exceed 90˚F).
Form into two baguettes by patting dough into a 16 inch long rectangle and rolling the long edge into a log shape. Place on 1 or 2 greased baking sheets (leave room for bread to double). Let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400˚F. Bake bread for 15 minutes, decrease temperature of oven to 350˚F, and bake for 30 minutes longer.