Two "standing" items and closing thoughts, July 4

Here are two items I made today: Mint Lemon/Lime Aid and Cultured Vegetables, that I will have on-hand and use often during the next few weeks. I will only post the recipe today. A note about cultured vegetables: these are to be eaten as a snack as well as with meals that have protein to help aid digestion. This particular recipe is from the book "Body Ecology". I added sliced daikon (as you might be able to see from the picture).


Raw Cultured Vegetables


3 heads green cabbage, shredded in a food processor
6 carrots, large, shredded in a food processor
3 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
(first 3 ingredients were BI and organic. The only garlic I've been able to find is either from California or China)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Remove several cups of this mixture and put into a blender.Add enough filtered water to make a "brine" the consistency of a thick juice. Blend well and then add brine back into first mixture. Stir well. Pack mixture down into a 1½ quart glass or stainless steel container. Use your fist, a wooden dowel, or a potato masher to pack veggies tightly. Fill container almost full, but leave about 2 inches of room at the top for veggies to expand. Roll up several cabbage leaves into a tight "log" and place them on top to fill the remaining 2 inch space. Clamp jar closed (I've found that Adam's Peanut Butter jars are perfect). Let veggies sit at room temperature for at least three days. A week is even better. Refrigerate to slow down fermentation. Enjoy!


Mint lemon/lime aid

3 large lemons (BI, organic)
2 large limes (BI, organic)
1 bunch mint (BI, no spray)
1 C sugar (Maui)

Juice lemons and limes. Simmer 1 C water and sugar with the rind from one of the lemons, chopped up. Boil water, sugar, and lemon rind for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, bruise mint leaves and add to mixture, stirring. Add juice from lemons/limes. Let stand for an hour or two, strain into a jar with lid. For serving, add water to your taste and ice cubes. Refrigerate any leftover base mixture: it can be stored for 2 to 3 weeks.


Today's thoughts/comments:
I was definitely in the kitchen a lot today. But, I have tomorrow's breakfast ready to be warmed and in addition to making large batches of the cultured veggies and lemon/lime aid, I did three other time savings measures: At lunch I prepared extra steak for tomorrow night's fajitas. Also, when I prepared the marinara, I made enough for several batches to be frozen and used later in the month. Lastly, when I sauteed the garlic and onion for the marinara, I left a little behind in the pan and added sliced green peppers and sauteed for several minutes. Now, the meat and veggies are ready for tomorrow's fajitas.