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Tsurugi_Oni
04-23-2009, 10:30 AM
Hey guys, I just thought I'd toss out a recipe that me and my mom make.

Around this time in Ohio we have giant rampant fields of Wild Leeks that grow that nobody even touches. Sadly they are only harvestable for about 3 months, but you can easily preserve them. In about 2 hours you can harvest enough to last you a year of daily eating. It's relatively easy to identify by it's look and characteristic garlic/onion smell, but it's best to harvest with someone who knows what they're doin. In Chicago this stuff sells in some markets for over $10 /lb, and in Korea it is only served at very high end restaurants in salads and side dishes. In Quebec there is a 200g limit per person per year. Fortunately if you live in the northeast U.S. you can take advantage of the abundant nature of this plant.

You can make these into a Korean pickled dish called Kimchi, which is basically wild leeks + salt and red chili flakes (it has to be the Korean kind!!). If you live by the coast you can also harvest fresh oysters for some added protein and minerals. You store this mix in jars in our refrigerator for at least 2 weeks, and after that it's ready to eat! A proper mix will keep for a lifetime, and is a highly nutritious and delicious food to fall back on during these hard economic times. Plus, it's nearly free! (minus the cost of salt and red chili flakes).

Kimchi is probably the staple food in Korea, and it's eaten daily. In a highly destabilized economy it's good to have something to help you supplement your food, as well as having a great healthy food readily available whenever you crave somethin spicy.

busy91
04-23-2009, 10:41 AM
I love Kimchi, of course the kind I get, I can't eat b'cause it has anchovies in it. I would love to try and make it without any seafood, I wonder if it would taste the same?

Tsurugi_Oni
04-23-2009, 11:42 PM
Without the oysters in it it would definately taste basically the same. In uth Korea most people who lived by the coasts would put seafood into their kimchi solely because it was easily available. I highly recommend and only eat vegetarian kimchi, although wild leek kimchi might be a bit too exotic for the first time adventurer.

spicyfull
04-24-2009, 01:43 AM
There is something everywhere, where we can live off the Land. But as you said, it's Good to take someone with you who knows what they are doing. So IN JOY your Harvest and Thanks for Sharing your Kimchi.