Fermentation is always a welcome guest in my kitchen.

Beer, wine, cheese, salami - I love them all. The list of products we owe to microbial action reads like the answer key to a “Things I Want to Put in My Mouth ” category on Jeopardy.

But vegetables? I wasn’t so sure.

Sure, sauerkraut's got its own thing going on, but when I'm talking about fermented vegetables, I'm talking about kimchi - the dish that's driven hundreds of Western mouths to the water pitcher at your neighborhood Korean restaurant.

I didn't really have a reason for my hesitation, as I’ve had kimchi a handful of times before and always with pretty favorable results. I’m a fan of spicy foods and the sharp, fermented tang pairs well with the heat. I’m far from a kimchi enthusiast, but what I’ve tried, I’ve liked. Despite these positive first impressions, there was still something oddly foreign about kimchi in my eyes, that is until I buckled down and finally made a batch of my own.

And, man, was it good.

Good enough to satisfy the cravings of a kimchi purist? Probably not, but it’s definitely good enough to add a flavorful kick to soups, stews and rice entrees, or even stand alone as a side dish.

The first thing you’ll notice about this recipe is the lack of cabbage.

While Napa cabbage is obviously the most famous variation, kimchi can be made with almost any vegetable. The kind we’re making here is Jook Pa Kimchi, a springtime variation that calls for green onions as the central ingredient. Green onions don’t really fit the whole invasive theme, so I used three cornered leek instead. The end result retains much of the garlic-onion punch of the leek, but adds layers of spice, tang and salt with some wonderful results.

A word to the not-so-wise, if you ever find yourself have over-indulged the night before, this kimchi will shake a hangover like no one’s business.

With that, let’s get down to it.