degringolade

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INGREDIENTS
Napa cabbage (about 3 pounds)
Biggish daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
3 medium carrots cut into matchsticks
1/3 cup kosher salt
7 to 8 cloves garlic
Tablespoon peeled fresh ginger
Quarter cup nuoc mam
6 tablespoons chopped fresh thai chilis
6 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 jalapeno cut into matchsticks

INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the cabbage. Cut the cabbage lengthwise through the stem into eighths Cut the cores from each piece. Cut each section crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Cut the daikon into 2-3 inch matchsticks.
Salt the cabbage. Place the cabbage, carrots, and daikon in a large bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Using your hands, massage the salt into the cabbage and daikon until they start to soften a bit. Add enough water to cover the cabbage. Put a plate on top of these and weigh them down with something heavy, like a jar or can of beans. Let stand for 2 hours.
Rinse and drain the cabbage. Rinse the cabbage under cold water 3 times. Set aside to drain in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make the spice paste.
Make the spice mix. Take the garlic, ginger, sugar, fish sauce, and peppers and run through some kind of fine chopping method to make it itty bitty and set aside until the cabbage is ready.
Combine the vegetables and spice mix. Gently squeeze any remaining water from the cabbage and add it to the spice paste. Add the jalapeno and scallions.
Mix thoroughly. Using your hands, gently work the paste into the vegetables until they are thoroughly coated.
Pack the kimchi into the jar. Pack the kimchi into a 1-quart jar. Press down on the kimchi until the brine (the liquid that comes out) rises to cover the vegetables, put a weight on top of the kimchi so it is submerged the whole time
Let it ferment for 1 to 5 days. Place a bowl or plate under the jar to help catch any overflow. Let the jar stand at cool room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 1 to 5 days. You may see bubbles inside the jar and brine may seep out of the lid.
Check it daily and refrigerate when ready. Taste the kimchi once a day. When the kimchi tastes ripe enough (for me it is usually four or five days), move the jar to the refrigerator. It gets better on a slow ferment and I like it best after a week or two.