Vacation Runs, Kimchi and Risotto

Running

I just got back from vacation and managed only 5 “vacation runs,” so I’m feeling out of shape.  Two of those runs were awesome.  One was along Heceta beach and the other in Glacier National Park.  On a run in Richland, WA, I managed to pull a femoral extender on my right side.  This continues to impede me, making me even slower than usual.  I’m running 11 instead of 10 minute miles.  But at least I am still running.

I put in 7.2 miles along my local canal.  It’s not particularly pretty, but there are trees, ducks, and I can run on dirt instead of concrete.  The time was horrendous as usual – 77 minutes.  I went to the gym on my bike for strength training in the afternoon and then on a whim put an additional 3.1 miles on the treadmill.  I tried interval training with 5.5 miles per hour and 7 miles per hour intervals.  I bumped up to 7 mph every 5 minutes after the first 5 minute warm up.  If I could hold my speed at 7 miles per hour I could finally beat a 9 minute mile which is my goal.

Culinary

I put together a batch of Kimchi, or at   least what I call Kimchi.  Here is the recipe:

2 (~2-pound) head napa cabbage

10 Cloves crushed garlic

2 table spoons grated ginger

~16 ounces Korean radish or daikon, peeled and grated in food processor

~16 ounces baby carrots grated in food processor

2 bunches scallions, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup Fish Sauce

3/4 cup Chili flakes (gochugaru)

2% salt by weight of veggies

I actually measure everything in grams for the salt calculation.  I don’t do the imprecise sprinkle the cabbage with salt, let sit and then rinse.  I find this too variable for my tastes.  The 2% value is one that I derived from this excellent website - http://www.wildfermentation.com/

My last batch I put rice flower and sugar into and didn’t care for the appearance.  I also let it ferment too long (2 weeks) and found it too sour for my tastes.  I’m going to try a 3 day fermentation, since Maangchi says you can eat it fresh - http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/easy-kimchi

I’m not willing to risk the raw squid.  I mix the Kimchi in an old plastic bucket retired from fermenting beer. I ferment in a crock, in a wine fridge set at 66 degrees Fahrenheit which helps to control variance in fermentation times.

 

For dinner it was Kielbasa risotto.  Here is a recipe

1 Kielbasa (turkey polish)

1 cup of Arborio rice

½ of an onion

3-4 garlic cloves

4-6 small peppers from the garden

6 basil leaves from the garden

~2 cups of cut tomatoes from the garden

1 Tbsp. of Olive oil

1 Tbsp. of butter

1 Tbsp. of lard rendered from my free range pig

~½ cup of grated Asiago cheese

I start the onions, garlic and pepper at low in the oils in a non-stick 8 quart pot.  When they are soft I add the Kielbasa, basil and rice.  Make sure to coat the rice with the oils.  On the side I have an electric kettle full of water at or near boiling.  I add the hot water to the mixture to just above the top so that any rice kernels are in the water, but not so much that the water extends more than a centimeter above any of the mix.  I stir occasionally, adding water as needed to keep it at the level of the solids.  After 20 minutes of this, I add the Asiago cheese, and tomatoes, mix well, and let stand for at least 5 minutes – 10 is better.

I enjoyed this dinner with a beer that I made called California Ale.  I suppose if anyone ever reads this blog and asks, I could share that recipe also.