Korean-Style Winter Salad

Another vegetable that my CSA is providing to me in abundance this winter is daikon radish. Before my winter CSA, I had never really cooked with daikon radish, and didn't really know much about it except that it was a big, long, white Asian root vegetable from the radish family. Since then I've tried a few recipes that used daikon radish, but this one is by far my favorite. It is liberally adapted from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook.

In the original recipe, Madhur Jaffey includes julienned Kohlrabi for this salad. Add it if you have it. The nappa cabbage is my own addition, and once again stems from what comes in my CSA box. The week I originally made this salad I had no kohlrabi, but loads of cabbage that I needed to use up. I must say that I was more than pleased with the results.

Korean-Style Winter Salad
Serves 4-6

2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
5 inch chunk of daikon (about 1 cup), julienned
2 cups nappa or Chinese cabbage
1 tsp salt
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 tsp roasted sesame oil

The carrot and daikon should be julienned to about 2 X 1/16 X 1/16 inch; in other words quite fine. Toss the julienned carrot and daikon with the salt and let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables are wilted. Drain, rinse with water, and drain again. Pat dry.

While the veggies are wilting, in a small bowl mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, crushed pepper and sesame oil. Set aside to allows flavours to blend.

In a medium bowl, toss together the nappa cabbage, daikon and carrots and the soy sauce mixture. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

This salad makes a nice side to baked marinaded tofu for an evening meal, or as a side to a sandwich for a portable lunch. I also suspect that this recipe would work really well if lightly steamed broccoli was substituted for the nappa cabbage.

The Myth of Meat

Many people, when they think of food, think of meat. It is the center around which they plan their meals. For many, a vegetarian meal is unthinkable, especially to those who rarely or never eat fruit and vegetables at all. In Western culture, particularly in North America, there is a tendency to think of vegetarianism as an “alternative” lifestyle.

Historically though, meat was not a part of the average Europeans daily diet until well into the modern times when technology and scientific understanding began to reshape farming methods and increase crop yields. In fact, with the exceptions of peoples living in very Northern climates or in hunter/gatherer societies, most settled peoples throughout time have lived primarily on a regionally based variety of grains, legumes, pulses, dairy products and eggs with a bit of meat, fruit and vegetables thrown in when seasonably available. A detailed description of the farming and husbandry practices of the Middle Ages can be found in English Farming Past and Present, 5th Edition, by Lord Ernle.

The following recipe, while not a bona fide Middle Age dish, is certainly one that has characteristics that evoke that era. A grain-based meal with root vegetables, cabbage, nuts and cheese would not have been uncommon at this time of the year.

This has been adapted from Vermont ETV Cooks, a fund raising show that aired many years ago.

Roasted Vegetable and Barley Stew with Walnut Pesto

Stew ingredients

1 cup pot or hulled barley*
7 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup leek or onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot, diced
1/2 cup parsnip, diced
1/2 cup turnip, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup green beans, chopped
2 Tbsps olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

1/4-1/3 cup tomato paste
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried savoury
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed


Pesto Ingredients

2/3 cup walnuts
1 cup parsley leaves
1 large clove garlic, pressed
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-3 tsps lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place rack in the middle of the oven. Spread the barley on a cookie sheet and toast for 5 minutes until slightly browned and aromatic. Be careful not to let the barley burn; shake the pan every minute or so.

Bring the stick to a boil, add toasted barley and simmer covered for 25 minutes. While the barley is cooking, toss together the veggies with the oil and salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the cookie sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

When the barley has cooked for 25 minutes, add the roasted vegetables, tomato paste and herbs and simmer uncovered 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to a thick stew-like consistency.

Meanwhile, combine the pesto ingredients in a food processor and grind until well blended but still coarse in texture. Fold pesto into the barley stew at the end of the cooking period, adjusting salt to taste.

* Barley is sold in three basic states; pearl, pot or hulled. Pearl or polished barley is the grain that has had the bran mechanically removed. Pot or scotch barley is somewhat less refined but still healthier and a more flavourful choice than the pearl barley. Hulled barley is the grain that has only had the tough outer husk removed and is very nutritious and a good source of fiber. It is usually only found in health food stores. If you use this form of barley, you may need to increase the cooking time and liquid. I usually use this type but haven’t yet tried in in this recipe.

Mash It Up!

Root vegetable mashes are a staple of mine over these winter months. Root vegetables can be harvested late in the season (some can even over-winter), and they store well in a cool, dark place. Mine are stored in a 'cold room' that I created in my basement stairwell to the outside.

The trick with root mashes is to be creative. My mother layers a root mash of celeriac, turnip and potato with cheese. I added to this to a quick fry-up of black beans, garlic, onion and leek. I layered a casserole dish with mash, bean mixture, cheese, mash and cheese; then I baked it until heated through and the cheese was bubbly.

Mashes can also replace the tops on traditional potato-topped casseroles like shepherd's or shepherdess' pie.

If you cook up an lot of mash and have some left over: Turn it into soup. Simply add some soy milk to it and reheat! Or vary it up by also adding some spinach, kale, chard or cauliflower. Or a bit of curry powder.

So get creative; find some roots; and mix and mash!