Fresh Cherry Kimchi Salad

It's my favorite season of the year: juicy, ripe cherry season!! Over the weekend, we drove an hour outside San Francisco to pick our own sweet cherries and I got to meet the fifth generation family that owns and runs G&S Farms.

Their cherries are abundant, juicy, and perfectly crisp! I can’t stop eating them raw but they’re also perfect in this fresh kimchi salad. If you’re in the Bay Area, visit them in the next few weeks while they’re still in season! 

Fresh cherry kimchi salad (4 servings):

Inner tender leaves of napa cabbage
Handful of fresh cherries, pitted
2 cloves garlic 
Small nub of fresh ginger 
2 to 3 TBSP korean red pepper flakes
1 tsp fish sauce
1 to 2 tsp sesame oil
1 to 2 tsp honey
1 TBSP sesame seeds

Step 1. Roughly cut the napa cabbage leaves into big pieces and sprinkle with a pinch of salt in a bowl, mix and set aside.

Step 2. Crush cherries, garlic and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Add remaining ingredients and taste to adjust.

Step 3. Add seasoning paste to the cabbage leaves, mix by hand and enjoy! Would go great with KBBQ, rice, or alone as a salad entrée with some grilled pork shoulder or short ribs.