My Korean-American Life

July 15, 2024 Just the other morning, I had captured a photo of the ripening grapes hanging in bountiful clusters from the vine. Their lush green hue was transforming into a deep, luscious purple, a testament to the approaching harvest. I sent the photograph to the poet who had gifted me the vine a few years ago, eager to share the progress and the beauty of the fruit. The lowest bunch, in particular, caught my eye; it was almost ready for picking, its grapes gleaming with a promise of sweetness. Early this morning, with garden shears in hand, I approached the vine to harvest that very bunch. Anticipation bubbled within me as I imagined the taste of the first grape of the season. But when I reached the vine, I froze. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. The grapes were gone. All that remained were the empty stems. Thinking the grapes might have ripened and fallen to the ground, I looked down to check. Their skins were scattered beneath the vine. Someone must have eaten them just there un...

 I used to buy Kimchi from a Korean market or even Costco; I still do in winter when I don't have crops from my garden. Since I started vegetable farming in my garden, I made various Kimchi by learning from online recipes or Youtube videos. I tried some tricks to make kimchi more easily. Here's my secret. 1. Radish Kimchi Radishes mature remarkably fast! They grow well without requiring much effort and are ready to harvest in a month. 2. Napa Cabbage Fresh Kimchi (Geotjeori) Napa cabbage in my garden was a suprise to me in the first year of my homesteading. I exclaimed, "Oh, napa cabbage leaves are like flower petals!" They were all loosely spread out unlike those I used to buy at a market. To me as a novice farmer, growing napa cabbages has not been easy as they are susceptible to slugs, aphids and other bugs. Since I experienced how hard to grow those handsome napa cabbages, I'm amazed at how cheap they are at a Korean market. I bought over 900g napa cabbage for...