Photos by Monica Schwartz

Incorporating fermented foods into our daily diet is a good idea anytime, and especially after the holidays when we’ve taxed our system with rich foods.

To demonstrate how simple it is to create beautiful home-made sauerkraut, we called on private vegetarian chef Alyssa Moreau of Divine Creations.

The basic recipe comes together quickly and is easily customized to different tastes and seasonal availability of vegetables. Growing up with a German heritage, Alyssa and her family traditionally ate sauerkraut on mashed potatoes with Bratwursts and mustard.

Now, as a vegetarian, she loves it tossed into a simple salad or mixed with tahini and used as a sauce for cooked vegetables and grains.

“It adds a nice tang and crunch and balances out the plate,” she says. Her recommendation: add a few tablespoons to a meal once a day.

Recipe: Simple Sauerkraut

Alyssa is brewing up a fun, “Ferment for Health” class at CookSpace Hawaii on February 8th. She’ll cover this recipe and others, demonstrating home fermentation recipes and their health properties. To register, visit www.cookspacehawaii.com or call (808) 695-2205.