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How to make fermented foods part of your life without much fuss. SHORT AND LONG-TERM SEASONAL PICKLING Mary McCabe marysveggiecooking.com SAUERKRAUT Ingredients The standard proportion for cabbage to salt: 5 lbs. cabbage and other crisp vegetables to 3 Tbsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt Brine - 1 qt water to 1 ½ Tbsp. Sea salt Math can be confusing since most of us don’t make 5 lbs. at a time. I made 2 ½ lbs. Cabbage to keep it simple, with 1 ½ Tbsp. sea salt It is essential to use a digital scale to weigh the vegetables to know the correct amount of salt. A salinity ratio of 1.5% to 2.5% ensures a safe and delicious fermentation. Method 1. Shred the cabbage thinly and evenly. Put in a non-metal, food-grade container. Add the sea salt and mix lightly with clean hands. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. 2. Begin to “massage” cabbage and sea salt with clean, well-rinsed hands, with no soap residue. Continue to rub the cabbage mixture until a good amount of liquid is released, about 10 minutes. 3. Place a portion of cabbage in a sterilized jar or crock. Use a tool such as a kraut pounder, wooden spoon, or smasher to push down the cabbage, so the brine is ½ inch above the kraut. Repeat in batches, pressing down until all the kraut is in the container, leaving 2 inches of head space open to the top. 4. Press so the brine is above the kraut. Use a fermentation weight or food-grade plastic a bag full of brine to set on top of the kraut. 5. Use cheesecloth or clean cotton to cover and a fermenting lid. Do not close the lid tightly. It needs to allow any gas to be released. Place the kraut container on a shallow dish to catch any brine overflow. 6. Leave the new kraut in an area for 5 to 8 days, not in direct sunlight, depending on The temperature. The ideal temperature is 68 to 75 degrees. Check every day, and look for bubbles. Once the liquid has a chance to settle and the bubbles no longer rise to the surface, it indicates that the fermentation has stopped. As a result, the color has gone from white to golden yellow. 7. Smell it. It should smell and taste like sauerkraut. You can store the kraut in the refrigerator, tightly covered for 2 to 3 months, ensuring the brine covers the kraut. Sauerkraut Dish, Pickle Jar with Glass Weight, Brine Filled Bag & Lid Sauerkraut Shown in Jar, as a side, Glass & Brine Filled Bag Weight *Mary's Notes Amazon offers various fermentation products, such as Mason jars and Ball lids. Sauerkraut needs an anaerobic (without oxygen) environment to ferment successfully. To achieve this, you must ensure no air gets into the kraut mixture by using the weights or brine bag to keep the air out. Also, keep the kraut submerged under the brine to prevent spoilage. Lay the outer cabbage leaves on top to keep any floaters from jumping to the top. ________________________________________________________________________ KIMCHI Ingredients One large, heavy napa cabbage washed and well drained 3 or 4 scallions cut into two” lengths One small carrot cut into two” slivers ¼ onion in half moons 6- 8 cloves of garlic minced Thumb size piece of peeled ginger, julienne 1 Asian or Bosc pear slice thin strips 2 to 3-inch daikon radish, julienne 3 to 4 Nira cut into two” lengths ⅓ to ½ cup sea salt, kosher, or pure salt Gochugaru - Korean red pepper flakes or powder Cut Vegetables befoer Mixing with Starch to go inside the Napa Starch gravy ¼ cup sweet rice flour One cup of dashi stock (1 ½ cup water to two” piece kombu slow boil to one cup) Method Cut napa cabbage in half and quarters. Carefully spread loose cabbage leaves, and sprinkle salt between each layer. Place in a bowl, covered, cut side down for Four hours up to overnight. You can tell the cabbage is ready by bending and rolling the thick part back and forth. Rinse between each leaf at least three times in a bowl and then under running water. Be gentle. Drain the rinsed cabbage in a strainer for 30 minutes. Tasting is the best way to see if the cabbage is salted correctly. Mix all the sliced veggies for the stuffing with two teaspoons of salt and the starch mixture to create the kimchi paste. Add red pepper spice to your taste. Optional. Add part of the paste to the inside of the thickest part of the napa cabbage. Repeat until the mixture is on each layer of the leaves. Finally, coat the outside of the cabbage with paste, and wrap the last two leaves around the bundle to secure. Preferably place in a large container to fit all the kimchi. Cover with plastic wrap to keep the juices in. Keep on a counter away from heat or sun for 10-12 hours, then refrigerate. You can begin eating kimchi after five days. It will keep for 3 to 6 months in the refrigerator. Take out what you eat in a week and leave the rest untouched during storage. Amazuke - Tsukemono Sweet Pickles Ama means sweet, and zuke means pickling. Ingredients #1 One cup Rice vinegar ½ cup Maple syrup 2 tsp. Sea salt Method #1 Bring all ingredients to a boil over medium heat. Once boiled, turn the heat off. Allow it to cool. Ingredients #2 Carrot two inches sliced into thin strips Daikon two inches cut in ¼ inch sticks ½ tsp. Sea salt Mix the daikon and carrot with the salt in a sealed bag or bowl. Set aside for 15 minutes. Pour off excess liquid from the salted veggies. Add cooled vinegar mixture, place in a jar and allow to marinate. Good to eat in two weeks. Serve in a bowl with brine. Squeeze lemon juice for taste. I like to add green shiso feathers and chili threads for a spicy color. Red Radish Pickles Garden Organic Radishes Ingredients Small bunch of red radish 8 oz. ½ tsp sea salt Two Tbsp. Ume vinegar Method Slice the radish into thin slivers and mix well with salt in a bowl. Place a lid with a weight on top. Below shows a salad press, which makes it easier to press. Allow the excess juice to be released and strain off excess. Place in a glass jar, mix in Ume juice and marinate with a lid and a weight overnight. Keep it in the refrigerator. It will be pink and suitable for weeks. You can add ginger juice, sesame seeds, etc., when serving. Pickled Ginger Ingredients 3 oz. Peeled ginger sliced thin with peeler ½ tsp. Sea salt 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup maple syrup 1 tsp. Ume juice Method Mix sliced ginger with sea salt well in a bowl and press a weighted lid to pull out excess liquid for 30 minutes. Squeeze it out with your hands. Discard excess liquid. Mix in a jar with the rest of the ingredients. Cover with a cloth and leave overnight. Keep the brine over the ginger in storage. Asazuke Salad Ingredients For Brine - 1 ½ tsp. Sea salt two cups good water One two-inch piece Kombu ½ lb. cabbage cut into 1-inch chunks ½ lb. carrot cut in matchsticks ½ tsp. Sea salt Method Bring the brine to 140 degrees, turn it off, and allow it to cool Mix ½ tsp. Add salt, cabbage, and carrots, and sit for 30 - 40 minutes. Squeeze off excess salt. Pour the cooled brine over the cabbage and carrot mixture into a jar and marinate for 2 to 6 hours. Refrigerate, ready to serve. Cucumber Salad

Here's a beautiful way to use fresh corn when it is available in the summer. When eight ears of fresh corn are sold for $2.00, it's time to produce creative ways to use them. With the summer ending and the season beginning to change, this is a great soup to enjoy on those rainy fall days. Ingredients Six cups water Four ears of corn with husk One-half whole onion diced One cup celery diced Two carrots diced (peel if needed) One cup soymilk One tsp. sea salt One Tbsp. white miso One tsp. non-toasted sesame oil One tsp. soy sauce Parsley, scallion garnish Fresh and dried thyme for taste Six baby tomatoes chopped Toasted croutons (optional) Recipe follows. Preparation Wash whole ears of corn and remove outer husks leaving the inner ones that are clean. Cut off both ends. Bring water and whole corn to a boil—cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove corn from stock water and skim or strain any silk left in the pot. When cooled, remove the husks, and discard them, hopefully to compost. Cut off the corn from the cob. Set it aside. Warm up a heavy pan, such as cast iron. Add the oil and diced onion with a dash of sea salt. When the onion turns transparent, add diced celery and carrot. Simmer together until tender. Add the vegetables to the corn stock. Spoon some of the stock onto the sauté pan to get all the remaining goodness and pour it into the soup pot. Add sea salt, tomatoes, and corn. Cook on medium-low for 20 minutes. Add soy milk. Melt the miso with a bit of stock to add and soy sauce to taste. Add fresh and or dried thyme. Simmer for another few minutes, do not boil at this stage to keep the enzymes alive in the miso and soy sauce. Add chopped parsley and scallion to garnish. When adding croutons, do it before serving to keep their crispness. This chowder can be kept well in the fridge, ensuring it is cooled. You can also add potatoes for a truer chowder, preferably organic. To make it creamier, blend part of it with an immersion blender.

It's summer in New Jersey! Finally, we have Jersey peaches, naturally sweet and delicious. Here is an easy, quick way to make fresh peaches into a dessert or sauce as a creative side companion to many dishes. Ingredients Two peaches sliced thinly and evenly 1 1/4 cups apple juice Pinch sea salt One Tbsp. Kuzu or arrowroot starch mix with two Tbsp. apple juice or water One Tbsp. Maple syrup (optional) makes it sweeter. Preparation Peel peaches if not organic. Slice thin. Bring juice and peaches to a near boil with a pinch of salt. Mix the starch with liquid to melt smoothly, with no lumps. Lower the flame, stir the starch slurry into the peaches, and keep going until smooth. Add the maple syrup. This dish keeps well in the fridge for many days. Allow cooling before refrigeration. The recipe makes approximately four servings.

The Ultimate Sauerkraut Sauerkraut is the ultimate pro-biotic! Add a daily tablespoon into your diet for increased gut health Sauerkraut prep time is approximately one hour. This recipe serves between 15-20 people. Ingredients The standard proportion for cabbage to salt: 5 lbs. cabbage and other crisp vegetables to 3 Tbsp. sea salt or Himalayan salt Brine - 1 qt water to 1 ½ Tbsp. Sea salt Math can be confusing since most of us don’t make 5 lbs. at a time. I made 2 ½ lbs. Cabbage to keep it simple, with 1 ½ Tbsp. sea salt It is essential to use a digital scale to weigh the vegetables to know the correct amount of salt. A salinity ratio of 1.5% to 2.5% ensures a safe and delicious fermentation. Step 1: Shred the cabbage thinly and evenly. Put in a non-metal, food-grade container. Add the sea salt and mix lightly with clean hands. Set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Step 2: Begin to “massage” cabbage and sea salt with clean, well-rinsed hands, with no soap residue. Continue to rub cabbage mixture until a good amount of liquid is released, about 10 minutes.

Green vegetables come in many ways, from leafy to varieties of the Brassica family of cabbages and mustards. They are also known as cruciferous vegetables or Cole crops due to their stem or stalk. There are infinite ways to cook these wonderful green vegetables, yet it is essential to retain their deep color and nutritional value. Methods of cooking can determine the outcome towards the full potential of the result of the dish. There are many techniques for working with green vegetables: Blanching, steaming, boiling, sauteing, frying, pressed salad, pickling. Keeping green veggies in our daily diet is essential. It is easy to cook them quickly by blanching, steaming, or boiling. Boiled Broccoli To Boil: Cut one-third of a bunch of broccoli into matching size crowns. Suitable to cut through the stem to create a manageable size. Use the stalks in other ways. Wash broccoli and set it aside. Bring enough water to cover broccoli and a pinch of sea salt (optional) to a boil. Add the broccoli and immerse the broccoli to cook evenly. Allow to cook for about four minutes, remove with a slotted spoon, and spread heads out evenly on a sushi mat or porous mat to cool. Serve. Blanched Napa / Chinese Cabbage To Blanche: Wash the vegetables well. Depending on the type of vegetable, you can cut ahead or cook whole and then cut. With long leafy greens, it seems helpful to keep the stems and leaves together while cooking and then cut. Prepare a water and ice bath in a bowl to halt cooking and nutritional loss. Bring enough water to boil with salt to cover the vegetables. Immerse part of the vegetables in stages to not overcrowd the pot for even more cooking. Cook for 30 seconds (for leafy) to 1 minute to 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the vegetable. The temperature ranges from 70 to 100 degrees. Remove with a slotted spoon/strainer and place in icy water to stop the cooking. When cooled after just a few minutes, remove and place on a porous mat to drain and serve. Blanching is great for summer cooking or when you want to remove just the skin of a vegetable. The technique can also remove bitterness, such as broccoli rabe, or soften vegetables before roasting. Blanched and Sautéed Broccoli Rabe Wash and blanch rabe for 30 seconds. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid. Cut into bite-size pieces. Sauté with garlic in olive oil, add salt to your taste. Serve. My close friend Gloria Elia showed this recipe to me, who assisted me in the early days when we cooked for macro folks out of my home. Another friend who knew Italian cooking did not blanch first. Instead, she sauteed the garlic first in oil until the garlic was toasted golden. Then she removed the garlic and added the cut broccoli rabe to sauté until done. Each method is delicious. Buon Appetito!

Millet is one of the most versatile and understated of all the grains. How to cook and use this remarkable tiny grain millet in so many ways from warm creamy porridge, fluffy main or side dish, nori wrapped appetizer, corn crusted tempura squares and easy preparations. Fluffy Cooked Millet One cup millet 2/3 tsp. sea salt Three cups water One-half-inch piece kombu Toasted Millet Wash millet, drain in a mesh strainer, allow it to dry. Warm up a cast iron skillet on a medium flame. Toast lightly the drying millet until lightly golden and smells wonderfully nutty, set aside. Bring water and kombu to a near boil, remove kombu, save for another use. Lower the flame to medium, pour in the millet and salt, stir to mix. 6. Place a flame tamer/diffuser under the pot. Cook for about 40 minutes Boiling Millet Cooked Millet After millet is cooked, you can place it in a dish to become firm and use it in many other ways. Flatten the top of the millet to be smooth and cover the top so it does not dry out. You can refrigerate to use later or when firm, you can use right away. Various Suggestions: Cut into tiny squares. Pan fry in a little oil, turn to be golden brown. Make a tempura batter, dip squares into batter and deep fry, serve immediately with a ginger soy dipping sauce or your own favorite. Firming of Millet Soft Creamy Millet Cereal To serve as a creamy warming cereal: Add sufficient water or favorite organic plant milk to mix with cooked millet. Warm up on a low flame until desired consistency. Add condiments such as toasted seeds, nuts, nori, gomashio, (sesame salt), wakame furikake, umeboshi, or a sweetener.

Easy Salsa with fresh veggies, black beans, and avocado. This is just one version of so many ways to make sassy salsa. So easy to do and so worth it for the freshness of taste and liveliness of the newly cut vegetables. Here's a way to get it right every time! I once entered a Best Chili Contest in Ocean City, New Jersey held at the Flanders Hotel. There were so many entrants, yet I was the only one labeling mine as "Chili Non-Con Carne with Homemade Salsa". To my huge surprise, I won first prize! I was so excited. One of the judges told me, it was my salsa that really won them over. Here is just one of many types of salsas you can play with. I hope you enjoy it. Ingredients One tomato chopped into small chunks One half red pepper chopped into small cubes One half yellow pepper chopped into small cubes One half orange pepper chopped into small cubes 1 tsp. sea salt One cup chopped red onion mixed with 1/4 tsp. sea salt 2 Tbsp. minced garlic Juice of two limes and one lemon 2 Tbsp. cumin 1 to 2 Tbsp. chili powder for taste Four Tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped Avocado sliced tiny pieces 1/4 cup cooked & seasoned black beans (recipe below) Green onions, chopped parsley (optional garnish) Let’s Get Started Mix red onion and sea salt together, to let the onion sweat out excess liquid. Set it aside. Cut all the vegetables into the same size. Mix all the vegetables together, except onions. Squeeze out any juice from the onions, add to the salsa. Add the beans, spices, citrus juice, and cilantro. Surround the top with avocado chunks. Add garnishes. This salsa is great as a dip with chips and as a topping for tacos, fajitas, burritos, and enchiladas. It will keep covered in the fridge for two days without the avocado.

How to make a one pot stew or "Hot Pot" meal using just vegetables, rice and noodles. Nabe Mono, as is called in Japan, translates to "pot thing" or things in a pot. There are so many variations to this wonderful dish, it is endless to the different ingredients you can use, making it new every time. It is considered one of the most versatile home-cooked dishes and social party food. It can be cooked at the center of the table with a cooking component. Enjoy yourself with your friends and family surrounded by the table with all the ingredients raw and cooked to go into the pot, so much fun. This is such a social time to share conversation and expression because you are ALL eating from the same pot, it makes for easier mingling, talking, Nabe Pot and enjoying each other; as a great social gathering and dinner party. How to Prepare Nabe / Nabe Mono Gather the ingredients you plan to use, include an assortment of vegetables, tofu, and noodles, or serve over rice. I made a video posted on You Tube with Sheri Di Maris on Nabe Cooking, where we demonstrated how to use a variety of ingredients. It was outside at a winery and we both had wind-blown hair. Many chefs make Dashi broth first as the foundation liquid base to the Nabe. This can be achieved by using a combination of Kombu Kelp Sea vegetable and Bonita flakes. Variations of Kombu Dashi recipes will be included, including suggestions for vegans who do not want to use the fish flakes. This Nabe recipe can be for two to four people, depending on if you want to have leftovers. Kombu Dashi There is so much information about the new 100+year taste Umani, which is the fifth taste, created through making Dashi, the broth using kombu and katsu Bushi. I won't spend too much time on Umani because there is so much information on the internet about this savory taste. You can take the time to learn all about it. When I worked with Sensei N. Muramoto, he claimed there is another taste, a sixth taste, a combination of green tea and dried persimmons. I did experience this taste and I agree it is a taste I have never tasted before and nothing quite like it. Back on the subject, this flavor and taste of umami is fundamental as a base to so many dishes. It is a simple broth to make yet very exact in the preparation. It is important to follow the guidelines accordingly. Clockwise: Tofu, Napa Cabbage, Soy Sauce, Dried Shitake Mushrooms (Dongo), Carrots. Green Onions, Daikon Radish, Peeled Fresh Ginger, Dried Kombu, Udon Noodles List of Ingredients Four cups water or Dashi broth Two inches Kombu piece Two carrots (optional peeled) One cup of napa cabbage or any cabbage Four inches daikon radish 6 Shitake dry mushrooms One half tub tofu (soft or firm) Udon Noodles (one sleeve) One half onion Green onion/scallions for garnish Grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds, and nori for extra garnishes Shoyu / Soy Sauce, Miso, or Tamari for seasoning to taste Cooked Udon Noodles and Soaked & Cut Shitake Mushrooms Preparation Once you have decided what you want to put in your hot pot, begin by washing all the vegetables. Dried mushrooms need to be washed and soaked in fresh cold water until soft. Cut each vegetable to comparable size, not too thick, not too thin. You want them to cook uniformly being done at the same time. Make Kombu Dashi broth. Set it aside. Trim off the stem of the mushroom, use later for stock. Cut the mushroom cap with a decorative slit on top and into halves or quarters or leave whole. They are easier to eat if cut. Cook the noodles as on the package, rinse, set aside, cover with a damp cloth so they do not dry out. Make separate piles of each ingredient to be used on a tray. Get all your condiments together in bowls, including your soy sauce, grated ginger, slivered scallions, toasted sesame seeds, nori slivers, and whatever else you want to serve. Get creative. Notice the hole in the top on the left pot, steam will start to come out, which will indicate the cooking time is done. Is that not cool or what, no guessing, the pot knows. These pots need particular care in working with them. Real TLC. I got this beautiful genuine Japanese Nabe Pot from Miyacompany.com They have a variety of beautiful Japanese tableware and gifts. Donabe means clay pot in Japanese. A do nabe is one of Japan's oldest cooking vessels. Originating in Japan's lga province, the pots are made from clay and are ideal for handling elevated temperatures. They can even be over an open flame or an oven. The clay is super porous, which means it builds up heat slowly, but it maintains heat once it's at peak temperature. The hole in the top starts to emit steam and tells you the pot is done. Pot knows. Now that is a smart pot. Basic tips to follow to care for your Donabe pot: Before using your newly bought donabe, fill the pot with water about three quarters full and about a cup of leftover cooked rice or 1/4 cup of rice. Simmer on a low heat for about 30 to 60 minutes. Stop cooking, allow it to cool. Discard the rice and rinse the donabe well. Dry with a clean cloth and air dry to well before storing. Always make sure the bottom of the donabe is dry before using it. Do not put on high heat, always start on low heat. After using the donabe, let it cool before cleaning. Never soak it. Always hand wash, do not put it in the dishwasher. Dry it upside down overnight, the clay absorbs water, so it takes time for it to dry out. Make sure you never cook in it without some sort of moisture in it, oil for sauteing or broth. Eventually, hairline cracks may surface. Best to re-season with rice porridge, the starch will fill the cracks. Sadly, if the pot starts to leak through the clay, then it can be a pot for decoration in some creative way, its life as a cooking vessel is over. Time to get a new one. SOOO, take care of your donabe because they are expensive.

I have been making pickles for a long time. Sometimes with immense success and many times disastrous enough for compost. Being able to pickle is one of the most challenging of all challenges for me in the history of all my kitchen endeavors. I do not give up. So, for those of you hesitating to take the pickle plunge, don't give up because it can be extremely rewarding. Pickling requires fermentation, and fermentation requires many factors, some of which you will have little control over. There are many ways to study fermentation, simply put it is the process of preserving foods in an acid or salt solution. I am going to talk about my experiences with pickling to share with you through my successes and failures. First, you must start by having fresh whole ingredients, preferably organic grown. Wash very well. Then begin to cut as you desire. Make sure that all your utensils are clean, clean. You need superior quality additions, such as sea salt, soy sauce, Ume vinegar or juice, miso, vinegar. Make sure the air quality in your kitchen area is fresh and clean, not stale. Years ago, between 1983 and 1984, I had the supreme honor of working with Sensei Noboru Muramoto. He is the author of Healing Ourselves and Natural Immunity. We processed Sea salt, miso, soy sauce, natto, tempeh and umeboshi with home grown purple shiso. I was always amazed at his hands, everything he touched and made turned to "gold". He explained his hands had years of working with fermented foods, I could only derive that his hands had great power to make the different foods he worked with respond to beyond the intended potential. When we made soy sauce, we first cooked the wheat, then added the koji culture. He would turn the wheat mixture with his hands, the perfume and heat from the big wheat mound was intoxicating. He told me that some people ruined the wheat during fermentation because of the bacteria on their hands. That made a significant impact on me to know how important our hands are in our food preparation. So, hand lotion is not recommended prior to food prep. Also, start with small quantities until you are more comfortable. There are long term pickles and short-term pickles. This recipe is a short-term pickle since it is ready in just a few days. You may add many accompaniments, such ginger, sesame seeds, tasty herbs, shiso greens, etc. Ingredients White daikon about 1 1/2 inches long to the recipe 11/2 Tbsp. Ume vinegar 1/4 cup peeled red pepper skin Preparation Slice daikon-in half down the center long way. Then slice into thin half-moon slivers. Using a Y-paring knife, peel one-half of a red pepper. Mix well 1 Tbsp. Ume with the daikon slices. Mix 1/2 tsp. Ume with pepper skin. Add the pepper skins to the daikon, mix well, so the colorful juice begins to come out, saturating and covering the daikon. Use a plate with a lip so the daikon can lay flat with the pepper skins on top. Put a flat plate or something to cover completely close. Leave out overnight. Next day check to make sure daikon is still saturated. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. After a day or two, the pickles will be ready to eat. This is considered a light pickle and should be kept for about a week in the refrigerator. Hope you enjoy the taste of fresh daikon dressed in pink. I have been using a variety of different pickling techniques for a long time. Sometimes it works out and certainly sometimes it does not. I am forever a student of the art of pickling. There are so many variables to depend on in the process. I find the most important is being able to create the best environment for fermentation to occur. Daikon radish is a perfect candidate to work with. It is a strong root vegetable that can hold up for a long time. Being white in its natural color gives a chance to add beautiful colors to be absorbed. And with Valentine's Day coming up, l found pink to be perfect. I hope you will try and enjoy it!

45 minutes from start to finish. Thank you Mary! –Jane Williams Onions are delicious, and once roasted they turn sweet and tasty! Wash whole onions with skins. Roast at 350 degrees for aproximately 45 minutes. Once cooled enought to touch, cut open and use in many dishes for the wonderful deep roasted onion flavor.

INGREDIENTS Half cup dried whole barley One cup split pea One inch piece Kombu Two carrots diced Three stalks of celery diced One onion diced Eight cups water (approximately) One bay leaf 1 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt Soy sauce seasoning to taste Thyme, parsley, chives, scallions, parsley, and celery leaves your choice, try all, they make great flavor and nutrients. DIRECTIONS Wash barley and peas under running water, with your hand, drain. Soak barley with two cups of water until swollen full, 2-3 hours, more if needed. Soak peas until they are fuller, not necessary, why not while waiting for the barley. Meanwhile, sauté onion with dash of salt until translucent. Add carrots and celery. Cook on a simmer low for about ten minutes. Set aside until peas and barley are fully soaked. I don't use soaking water; I give it to the plants. You can. Just adjust when you need more water. Bring barley. Kombu, and peas to a boil with water and kombu. Make sure to watch the pot so it does not foam over, put a wooden spoon over the pot in case you forget, it may help the rising foam from spilling over your stove, and then you have a big mess to clean up. Cook until the barley is soft, at least an hour, add the rest of the salt. Add the Holy Trinity, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook on a medium low heat with a flame tamer to be safe from sticking to the bottom for about an hour. If you think it is ready, then send in the final herbs for added flavoring. Lower to a simmer, add a little superior quality soy sauce and serve. Strain if you want a puree soup. My Grandmother, who BTW lived until 108 and 1/2 (at that age months count), would always make split pea soup. It was always so fabulous, one of my favorites. Along with her rice pudding, which I am continuously trying to replicate, it is not an easy order without sugar, dairy, and eggs. As I got older and no longer ate meat, she adjusted her soup recipe especially for me with no meat. She also would strain her split pea soup with foley food mill.

recipe coming