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you will need:

1. cabbage. you can use red or green, but it is easiest to get a good result with green. the fresher the cabbage is, the better your sauerkraut will be, because the moisture content is higher. if you use cabbage that is too old, you will need to make a brine to cover the shredded cabbage, which is too dry. i've included some information about brine a little later on.

2. a crock. i use an antique ceramic one. i have heard about using foodsafe plastic containers, and i know you can buy new crocks at hardware stores and such. if you decide to use an antique, please be sure that its glaze is intact before using it for the first time. check it for seeping, by filling it full of boiling hot water and letting it sit overnight. in the morning, if there are water droplets on the outer surface, the crock is no longer foodsafe.

3. kosher salt

4. sharp knife

5. food processor, or a mandolin for shredding cabbage. some people claim that food processors are no good, because they don't cut the cabbage into consistently-sized pieces. but i have gotten many good batches from my food processor! you need to use the slicing blade on your processor.

6. a plate and a weight (i'm using full canning jars, which i can sterilize easily with hot water.) i know some people use a large rock instead, which they have sterilized.

7. lint-free kitchen towels. i use floursack towels, of course ;).

8. bakers twine

9. (not shown in this photo) kitchen or postal scale

10. (not shown in this photo) at least two large kitchen bowls.

I made up this recipe for a quickly prepared dinner last night. You can also add a few grilled peppers, and add or remove anchovies and capers, although it’s much more flavourful with these ingredients!


Tarte a la Provencale

Prepare the Garlic Tomato Sauce with Herbes de Provence for the base in advance (see comment below). You’ll also need half a 397 g pack of puff pastry, a small red onion, black olives, anchovies, capers, and old cheddar or gruyere cheese, and a 28 cm loose-bottomed tart pan or porcelain baking dish.

Pre-heat the oven to 200C.

Very thinly slice a small red onion using a very sharp knife or a mandolin. Slice a large handful of black olives [about 125 ml]. Finely grate the cheese [200 - 250 ml]. Roll the puff pastry very thin. Sprinkle the pan with a few drops of cold water and place the pastry in the pan, trimming the edges. Spread some tomato sauce evenly over the base –not too thick but make sure it’s well covered. You’ll need about 3/4 of the sauce. Evenly spread the sauce with the thinly sliced red onions, the sliced olives, and a few tablespoons of drained capers. Drain six anchovies and place evenly over the filling. Evenly spread the grated cheese over the tart, and bake in a very hot oven for 20 to 25 minutes [depending on how moist the sauce is, it may need a little longer to properly cook the base].

Serve hot or room temperature with a fresh salad.