This is a wonderful recipe that comes from Jordan Rubin, using one of his Beyond Organic products, Terrain Sacred Herbs. One of the reasons why I love the Terrain Living Herbals, especially the Sacred Herbs variety, is because they make a beautifully IC friendly vinegar substitute since they are very similar to apple cider vinegar. And there are so many flavor options to chose from.
Terrain is the “power of sour”. They are living herbal supplements that boost metabolism, balance body pH levels, and support digestive healthy while providing a full complement of organic, herbal nutrition. Terrain products are raw/living and certified organic. They contain antioxidants, enzymes, probiotics, and organic acids. Plus, they contain zero calories. Terrain is made using a slow, long-term fermentation process that combines beneficial microorganisms and traditional organic botanicals to create liquid supplements made to “Transform Your Terrain”. This transformation happens in three foundational ways:
- Helps to restore proper pH balance in the body
- Helps to promote healthy metabolism
- Supports healthy gut flora and overall digestive function
Culturing veggies with Terrain in place of vinegar makes this dish a powerhouse of wellness. Cultured foods are some of the most nutritious foods you can eat, and some of the easiest to make once you get the hang of it :). Terrain also makes this a bladder and gut friendly option over other culturing methods. Culturing veggies with the probiotics found in Terrain turns this food into a superfood that everyone I’ve offered it to immediately falls in love with :). Even our toddlers much on it! Elodie’s favorite is cultured broccoli, while Eowyn eats it no matter which veggie it is. Once you start eating cultured veggies, you’ll never stop! They taste amazing, and you will be able to feel their amazing health benefits almost immediately.
..Terrain Cultured Veggies..
– sterilized glass jars with lids
– shredded organic cabbage
– chopped organic green onion
– a clove or two of minced organic garlic
– chopped organic green leafy veggie (we used bok choy)
– chopped organic cucumber (optional)
– shredded organic carrots (optional)
– 1 tbsp grated organic ginger or 1 drop of ginger essential oil (because I was out of fresh ginger)
– 2 to 6 ounces of Terrain Sacred Herbs (depending on amount you’re making)
– filtered water
There’s a reason why I didn’t put amounts for the veggies.. make however much you want :). We had a huge bunch of bok choy, a head each of purple and green cabbage, and two cucumbers that all needed to be used or tossed. Normally I would use carrots, but I had given the girls the last of them for lunch that day. And I was out of ginger.. which I used to juice a bunch of green veggies that day too, so I used a single drop of ginger essential oil instead. A single drop is all you need if using the essential oil. Do NOT use more than one drop or the ginger will completely overpower and dominate the dish. You can use pretty much any green leafy veggie along with the cabbage and carrots. A lot of people use kale, but I thought bok choy would pair nicely with the ginger :).
So you start by combining all of the food ingredients with the Sacred Herbs using a clean wooden spoon. This is also where you will add your ginger essential oil. Because we made massive batches of this, we used 6 oz of the Sacred Herbs per batch.. I made two different ones. A plain one using just cabbage, cucumber and green onions while the second one contained the same along with bok choy and ginger.
Pack the veggie mixture into sterilized glass jars and add just enough water to cover. Place the lids on.
Allow the veggie filled jars to sit at room temperature for 48-72 hours before opening. Refrigerate after opening. If your jars are freshly sterilized and still hot, they will seal nicely once you pack them and place the lid on. We’ve left ours sitting at room temp anywhere from 3 days to 9 months without having any spoiling. The longer they sit, the more delicious they are. But do remember to stick them in the fridge once you open the jars.
It’s very rare to get a bad batch. In fact, we’ve never had one, and I have been making this recipe for over a year now. But it can go bad if unfriendly bacterias are introduced. This can turn the veggies slimy and brown. You can have a rotting odor from a bad batch too. If this happens, simply toss them out and start over. Using sterilized jars and keeping your work space clean and sterilized will help to keep the risk of a bad batch down.
This recipe has endless combination possibilities between the veggies and the Terrain Living Herbal options. So go crazy :). Experiment and find the flavor combination that you like best! It makes a great side dish to nearly anything, works wonderfully in homemade tortillas or over beans, or as a snack. And remember.. organic veggies and glass jars!
happiness grows.. 