
I don’t usually like recipes that make cute replacements, letting one ingredient replace or stand in for the real thing. But this recipe is an exception. It makes a healthy salad but would also make a great first course or light luncheon.
serves 6

Ingredients
- 1 pound zucchini or yellow summer squash
- 2 tablespoon shallots, minced
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- juice of one lemon
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- salt and pepper, to taste
- parmesan cheese, to tatse
- ½ cup pistachios, chopped
- 2 tablespoon mint leaves, chopped
Directions
Getting the long thin “linguini” like strands of zucchini is vital to the success of this recipe. The thin threads are served raw and the acid in the dressing cooks the “pasta”.
You may use a peeler with a julienne blade, or also a mandoline. If you have good knife skills you may even use a chef’s knife. Whatever process you use just make sure the strands are as long and thin as you can reasonably achieve.
To make the dressing mix the shallots, olive oil, lemon juice and zest together with some salt and pepper. Shake or whisk well to emulsify. Pour this mixture over the zucchini threads and toss well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Shave long thin strips of Parmesan cheese over the zucchini, followed by the pistachios and mint. Serve immediately.
Love your video — you always make it look easy! I may be too impatient to wait four hours to soak the Napa cabbage, much less 3–4 days for the entire kimchi.
Thank you for the link to Gregory Rodriguez’s article; food is so emblemic of culture and yet, because it is constantly re-created, exported, imported, shared, appropriated — what have you — the possibility of losing integral aspects of it as identity is a constant presence. I look forward to reading the article at length.
Bold move with a difficult dish and love the video–makes me want to blog again.
I keep telling my Korean husband that I just don’t think I would be able to make a very good kimchi, being the gringo that I am, but he thinks after seeing your video, I should give it a try. Now see what you have gotten me into 🙂
Our IT Director has cut off most ties to the outside world of culture and society, which includes streaming media, so I can’t open your video. I will, however, return for a watch later on, from the comforts of home. I’m grateful for your recipe. My future-sister-in-law loves kimchi as much as I do. When I visit her, she’s always disappointed that I haven’t stockpiled containers of a local Korean restaurant’s kimchi for her. Now, I may make her a batch of her own for the holidays. Thanks for saving my arse.
Loved the video and your gorgeous kitchen! 🙂
The very first time I tried Kimchi was when I was 10 and living in Mexico, one of my aunts very good friends was Korean and she would always bring some over when she came to visit. Tasty!
Loved the video! And I have to try kimchi — I’ve never tried it before!
Thanks for sharing your kimchi story! I’m always interested to see what non-koreans (I happen to be Korean) think of Kimchi, since it is sort of an acquired taste, and you’re right in that Korean food remains somewhat of a mystery to Americans. (more so than Japanese or Chinese food for example.)
My family actually just had an all-out, 2 day kimchi making fest, and I was there to lend a hand and mostly take pictures. Check out the entry here: http://www.jessicasdinnerparty.com/2009/11/kimchi/
I have avoided kimchi for years because the thought of eating something that had been buried and rotting (I suppose I should I say fermenting?) underground for any length of time, was a bit problematic for me. Love your approach to it, and think the video is a riot, as usual. Thanks for the great recipe, I’m gonna make some this weekend!
The text of this post tickled my funny bone, but the the “Kimchi-on-Speed” video was hysterical. P.S. Tres cool kitchen!
I love kimchi and the idea of being able to make it quickly is hilarious, since the Koreans bury it in the ground for months to achieve the end result. I also eat it alone. It is generally served in a small dish with several other sides at a Korean restaurant and I have never been laughed at for eating it without rice. I can’t believe someone actually took a picture of you. Wow!
I have to tell you a funny story! Last Thanksgiving we were honored to host three people from Korea. My husband attempted to make kimchi to make them feel at home…little did we know that one of our guests was a classically trained chef in Italy. Ouch. She was so gracious as she tried to fix our kimchi with our limited ingredients!! It was fun!!
and how timely that Korean food is the newest trend for 2010 despite the fact that its been around for thousands of years. Thanks for the recipe and the facts, keep them coming
*double-take*
I know I’ve seen the video before. In fact, that’s how I first got to know your (great) site. Seeing as you’d done the vid, I thought you’d already blogged about making kimchi.
LOLs about eating kimchi by itself. I usually eat it with rice but have been known to sneak into the fridge late at night and steal a few bites (with a fork, no less!) out of the bottle.
BTW, I’m nominating this post for FoodShots.
Your video is fantastic! I have the attention span of a flea, and was totally engrossed. Love it! Can’t wait to see more.
Hi Greg, I LOVE your vids! The Brussel Sprout one is fab, not only for the humour but also for the recipe. Going to try that this Chrimbo.
Kimchi, I love it. I would never have thought of trying to make it but your super quick video has inspired me. Although I’ll probably have to pause it when the instructions come up on screen.
Lovely stuff!
The video was fantastic. It ALMOST made me want to eat kimchi, but sorry it’s in the good company of tripe, another thing I just simply can’t eat. However, if I did eat kimchi, I would just have to watch this movie over and over.
Don’t the koreans usually bury the jar of kimchi in the ground?
How did the Kimchi come out? It looked good. I noticed the dog following you around the kitchen. I’m pretty sure at some point he said, “What? No meat? Well hell, then I’m not sticking around to clean the floor if you drop something.”
The first time I ever saw Kimchi it was as an 18 y/o stocking groceries in a rat hole of a grocery store and I remember asking, “What the hell IS this stuff in the jar?!?!?”
My fav part is Ken’s reply at the end of the video.
Great video as always! I love eating in cultural areas but your right you do get more attention than wanted when doing something uncultural! The older asian ladies in china town LOVE my son, not my daughter just my son?! He gets “special” non menu dishes when we eat in restaurants there.
Keep the videos coming. I really love them. lol. I applaud you for taking a stab at making kimchi. I love the stuff, but I always get the ready made kind. Plus, I don’t know if I’d have the patience to wait 3 or 4 days. lol.