Perky, Peppy, Pickled Vegetables
We have been lucky enough to have some food adventures lately. One such fun adventure was to celebrate birthdays for my husband and one of our best friends at Carolina Grill and Tiki Bar in Carolina Beach. It was the perfect evening to sit on the dock sipping amazing drinks and eating salty food.
One of the dishes we ordered was Pimento cheese with pita chips. That was amazing in and of itself, but it was served along with pickled vegetables that were out of this world. I could have happily eaten a plateful of those alone.
This got me to thinking that I should make some pickled veggies at home, other than traditional cucumber pickles. So I got to digging on the Internet. There are many variations to try, but I decided on a basic recipe to start.
You can use any vegetables you would like, especially anything you may have in abundance and want to preserve a bit longer. I chose to use a mixture of cauliflower florets, thinly sliced carrots and crisp green beans.
The first step is to prep your veggies by washing and slicing them. If you have a mandolin, this will allow you to get even, thinly sliced carrots, etc. If you do not have one of these handy but terrifying slicing contraptions, slice the veggies carefully with a knife.
After all your veggies are prepped, place them in a large mason jar with smashed garlic cloves and spices. I used black peppercorns and whole mustard seeds. But you can use fresh herbs like dill and rosemary, and throw in any other spices that you want to personalize it. Set the jar aside while you prep the brine.
The brine is a simple mixture of vinegar, water, salt and a touch of sugar. Boil that all together until the sugar and salt are fully dissolved.
Pour the brine over the vegetables while it is still hot and allow the jar to sit while it cools a bit. Once it has cooled, you can seal the jar with the lid and place it in the fridge for at least 24 hours.
These pickled veggies are delicious served as a garnish for almost anything, as a perfect side for picnic meals, or as a part of a charcuterie platter. The options are endless.
My family loved them. With just the peppercorns and mustard seeds, they turned out to have a nice little kick to them. The green beans were by far the favorite, so next time I may do a whole jar of beans.
I look forward to experimenting with more vegetables as summer produce really kicks into high gear. I am especially looking forward to pickling some okra, radishes, and maybe some green tomatoes. Guess I better start making room in my fridge.
