Roast Tomato Soup / Pickled Jalapeño Peppers + Pickled Daikon / Roast Jerusalem Artichokes with Hazelnut Gremolata

Blog Post & Recipe: Roasted Tomato Soup

I roasted the tomatoes with shallots and added thyme, because I’m on a tomatoes & thyme kick. But you could add any herb you’d like.

Blog Post & Recipe: A Peck of Pickled Peppers

Once you have determined the amount of liquid you will need, add that and the remaining ingredients to a pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour this mixture back over the peppers, screw on the lids, and refrigerate for a few days (or as long as you can wait)

Pickled Jalapeño Peppers ... Pickled Daikon

Recipe: Roasted sunchokes with hazelnut gremolata

This is a great technique for when sunchokes are in season. The insides are so tender it is almost creamy, while the edges are delightful bits of crispy goodness. Topping them off with the gremolata bring everything to life. The vibrant parsley and lemon with a bit of a punch from the garlic are wonderful with the toasty nuts.

Stir Fried Dried Cuttlefish (Ojinguh Chae Bokkeum) / Daikon Sweet Pickles / Somtam

Recipe: Stir Fried Dried Cuttlefish (Ojinguh Chae Bokkeum)

A staple side dish in most Korean kitchens and lunchboxes. Takes less than 5 minutes to make and will stay good for a long time. Adjust the amount of red chili paste and sugar depending on how spicy and sweet you like it.

Blog Post & Recipe: Takuwan-Japanese Daikon Sweet Pickles

Making the takuwan yellow comes from the artisan method or old fashioned method of making takuwan in Japan, this longer method can be seen on Takuan/Japanese Pickled Daikon: Basic Recipe by the Shizuoka Gourmet. Mrs. Miyake's recipe is sweet and takes a lot less time.

Blog Post & Recipe: Pok, pok, pok… Somtam!

Somtam comes in many variations depending on the region and personal preferences. In Isaan, or northeastern Thailand, where somtam is often called tam bak hung, plaa raa (fermented fish sauce)—no problem for me in small doses but often an acquired taste for many others—is often added in a papaya salad. The central Thai version often sees the addition of items such as salted egg, grilled pork collar or plaa haeng (ikan bilis, or dried anchovies).

Blueberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam / Braised Daikon / Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani)

Recipe: Blueberry Balsamic Black Pepper Jam

It is a beautiful inky blue-purple and the balsamic and pepper cuts the sweetness just enough.

Blog Post & Recipe: Braised Daikon

Braised daikon is ridiculously simple to make. There are only 3 ingredients. It takes awhile to cook but it is worth the wait. Raw daikon is crunchy and starchy. After being cooked for 40 minutes it becomes tender, soft and delicious. The texture of braised daikon is reminiscent of sea scallops.

Blog Post & Recipe: Butter Chicken (Murgh Makhani) (the same blogger uses this recipe to make Butter Chicken Burritos)

Butter chicken or murgh makhani, is an Indian dish where chicken that is marinated in a yogurt based marinade filled with aromatic spices is served in a buttery and creamy tomato based sauce. The chicken is normally cooked in a tandoor but you can just as easily grill it or cook it up any way you like.

Vietnamese Daikon & Carrot Pickles / Oregano Roasted Beets with Garlic Scapes / Turmeric Ginger Beer

Blog Post & Recipe: Vietnamese Daikon and Carrot Pickles

They're a little like bread and butter pickles, though crispier, not as sweet, and with a slight radish taste from the daikon.

Blog Post & Recipe: Oregano Roasted Beets with Garlic Scapes

Since beets are so sweet all on their own, they need little sprucing up. (Fun fact: Beet sugar makes up about 40% of the world’s sugar.) Here, I simply doctored them up with some garlic scapes and a few sprigs of fresh oregano.

Blog Post & Recipe: Turmeric Ginger Beer

But even when I got the carbonation just right in these recipes (which does take a little precision), brewed ginger beers did not have that fresh spicy kick that I love. In the end, I got the best results from the simplest method. Make a ginger-infused syrup and top with soda water and fresh lemon juice.