Unprocessed October

I like a challenge.  Especially a food-related challenge.  Eating locally, doing a cleanse, eating only yellow foods for a day, I'm usually game in the name of self-experimentation.  That's one of many reasons why I'm joining fellow food bloggers and readers in a month-long challenge for October, the Unprocessed Challenge.  I met its founder, Andrew Wilder, at the International Food Blogger's Conference up in Seattle.  Check out his tasty blog, Eating Rules, and read about or sign up for the challenge here:http://www.eatingrules.com/2010/09/october-unprocessed/. Andrew keeps his eating rules simple: eat only whole grains, no trans fats, and no high-fructose corn syrup.  I like it.  Just following these will keep you eating real food.

The question is, of course, how do we define unprocessed?  The consensus seems to be to eat foods which are made from recognizable ingredients, whether at home or by conscientious producers who use ingredients like those one would use at home.  Beer and chocolate make the cut, for example.  Bread and granola, yes, if they are made at home or pass the label test.  For me, eliminating processed foods won't be a huge shift from our norm.  I hope to use the challenge as a spur to try making more foods from scratch, and to eliminate some of the treat/cheat foods that occasionally make it into my diet.  Halloween without mass-market candy?  I can do it.  I try to eat only Fair Trade chocolate now, which eliminates Hershey's and Nestle.  And did you know you really can make your own chocolate, from cocoa beans if you can find them or cocoa nibs, which are more widely available?  Check out this link to darling video of John Sharffenberger himself making chocolate with a coffee grinder: DIY chocolate. 

Speaking of making it yourself, the fermentation season is upon us.  Now is the time to preserve the abundant harvest and prepare to have some local foods around in the cooler seasons.  Cabbage is an underrated vegetable, with its mild flavor, slight pungency, culinary versatility, cancer-fighting properties and amenability to fermentation.  I celebrated the Fall Equinox in part by making a big batch of sauerkraut, some of which will season sausages at the Harvest Fair at my son's elementary school.  Simple sauerkraut is a great way to get started in fermentation, create exciting flavors in your kitchen, and boost your digestion and immunity.  Check out my previous posts on fermentation if you want a refresher on the health benefits: eleven ways, save the nation.

Simple Sauerkraut
This most basic of vegetable ferments can be varied with many additions. Makes 1 quart.

1 medium size head organic cabbage
1 tablespoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon caraway, fennel or mustard seeds, dill or juniper berries

Shred the cabbage as finely as you can, and place it in a large bowl. Sprinkle the salt over the cabbage and massage it in, squeezing until the cabbage begins to exude some juice. Once it is thoroughly wet, add the spices and combine. Stuff the cabbage into a wide mouth Mason jar, pressing down with your hands so that the cabbage juice rises above the level of the shredded cabbage. Use pickle weights or a smaller jar that will fit inside the mouth of the jar to weight the cabbage as it ferments. Cover the whole thing with a T-shirt or cloth secured with a rubber band and let ferment, for 3 days or more. Check each day to be sure the cabbage is submerged and taste daily to see if it has achieved a flavor you like. You may seal the lid and refrigerate to stop further fermentation. Eat 1-2 teaspoons a day or meal to improve your health!

For answers to all your fermentation questions, visit Sandor Katz' wonderful wild fermentation website.  He has a great Q&A section here: http://www.wildfermentation.com/qa.php, plus links to fermentation forums and his amazing book, Wild Fermentation. 

UPCOMING CLASS: I'll be teaching the art of fermentation in Oakland on October 17th.  Follow this link to find out more and register for the class: http://www.biofueloasis.com/?page_id=7.