Summer! August in New England means gorgeous farmer’s markets bursting with fresh produce like cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, kale, potatoes and corn. Stone fruit season is around the corner, and I can practically taste the ripe peaches and plums.
We’ve been gifted cucumbers from Greg’s coworkers’ gardens and CSA shares, we’ve been buying them in season, and we’ve gotten into pickling. I love pickling, because the time and effort put in is minimal compared to the satisfaction it gives me (and how awesome I feel) when I see jars of homemade pickles lined up on a shelf, sealed and aging, ready to open with a spiced fall beer and homemade pretzels. (If they make it that long without being eaten!)
Recently Greg and I realized that we could pickle far more than just cucumbers. For our anniversary, Greg surprised me with a babysitter and reservations to our favorite restaurant, 51 Lincoln in Newton, MA. With advance notice, they’ll make us a four course vegan tasting menu. It’s INCREDIBLE, and delicious, and I wish they incorporated dishes from it on their regular menu. I think they’d be surprised how many people ordered them!
Our first course was a vegan charcuterie board that included pickled white eggplant and assorted pickled vegetables. One taste of the pickley deliciousness and I knew I had to try them at home!
A google search revealed that most people just adapted their pickle recipes, but kept the sealed jars in the fridge and used within a month. I decided to try my simple, classic recipe handed down to me by my mother. Her father’s mother, my great-grandmother, used to make these pickles every summer up in Camden, ME. She liked to age her pickles for at least a month for fuller flavor, and my mom’s cousin Bryan ALWAYS had trouble waiting that long!
I plan to try my carrots and eggplant pretty soon… and then keep the leftovers in the fridge and analyze the optimal amount of time for them to be immersed in the vinegar prior to consumption. It’s just begging to be an addition to our Oktoberfest menu. (I’ve recently decided we’re having an Oktoberfest party. I’m going to make my own mustard. And pickles. And pretzels. We’ll buy the beer.)
MMMM… pickled veggies! Brought to you by cross-training.
