Scrumptious Pickles

Pickles are so scrumptious; they can sometimes just hit the spot – with that cool, crisp, salty snack.  When I planted the cucumber seeds this spring, I had no idea what fun I was in for.  I started with 5 measly seeds, planted them and tended to them.  Then with great surprise (even though its kind of the point), the plant begins to bear fruit.  In what feels like an instant the cucumbers are ready for pickin’.

As is my practice with freshly picked things, I gave my cucumbers a cold water bath.  It loosens the dirt on them and helps them adjust to separation from their plant.

The recipe below is for these scrumptious pickles.  My sister passed it along.  I’ve adjusted the measurements to allow for a bit milder flavor. 

Scrumptious Pickles

makes 3 pints

Boil the following mixture:3 cups water

1 ½ cups white vinegar

¼ cup sea salt, course

1 ½ Tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon turmeric

2 cloves (or ¼ teaspoon ground)              

1 bay leaf

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

Boil mixture, stirring just a few times.  Let mixture cool.

Wash your jars.

Slice cucumbers to your preference; I do long quarters.

Stand cukes in jars.  Crush garlic cloves and add to jar.

Pour brine over pickles.

Seal lids by screwing on.

Refrigerate. (I like to give my pickles a shake once a day to keep the brine moving.)

I recommend waiting at least a week before eating.  Some say it’s best to wait up to 3 weeks.

Pickles stay good for 2 months.                                                                                                                                                

Welcome Summer with Basil Pesto

It is that time of year again…PESTO season!  The basil plants of strength should be filling in with thick, fragrant green leaves.  Just this morning, I harvested over 2 cups of gigantic leaves off my one and only plant this year.  This is its second harvest this season.  As I sat on the stoop next to my basil plant, I was greeted by the sweet, smooth aroma of its leaves.  I picked and picked, clipping each leaf from its stem and found, rather quickly, that I had two handfuls of basil leaves.

That’s perfect for today’s recipe: 2 cups.  But in years passed, I’ve found my basil plant to not grow as flourished.  And if this is the case for you, fear not…simply substituting in spinach can be a nice, more subtle pesto sauce.  (I’ve provide the alternative to the recipe below.)

To start, I cold wash the leaves several times.  First I prepare a cold bath for my new harvest.  The leaves are dirty and soil is caked on pretty well.  The bath will ease the dirt’s grip and remove the bulk of the dirt.  Then I wash each leaf rubbing my fingers gently up and down both the front and backside of the leaf.  You can feel the dirt wipe away.  Lastly I do an intense cold water rinse of the leaves.  Then I typically like to lay them out on the counter (on a dishrag) and pat them dry before letting them sit out for an hour or so.

Fresh Herb and Nut Pesto

Servings: about 6oz.

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh basil, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts

4 cloves of garlic

½ cup olive oil

½ cup grated pecorino romano

½ tsp salt

Several dashes of black pepper

Begin with the marriage of the leaves and nuts.  I use a food processor and it makes the job easy and delish.  Blend basil and walnuts.  I stop, scrap the sides, and pulse a few times.  I don’t want to lose the essence of each ingredient, its individuality and its blended combination. **We don't waste the pesto to become a paste.  Over blending will cause this.  I like to be able to still see the individual ingredients.


Italian Herb Pasta Bowls, Set of 5

Pulse 4 cloves of garlic.  Slowly add olive oil, pulsing every tablespoon or two.  Add cheese and pulse just to blend.  Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Basil-Spinach Pesto

Servings: about 6oz.

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh basil, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts

3 cloves of garlic

½ cup olive oil
1 cup cooked, chopped spinach

½ cup grated pecorino romano

½ tsp salt

Several dashes of black pepper

This recipe follows the same procedures as above, simply substituting 1 cup of bail for 1 cup of cooked spinach.  The spinach will tone down the pesto, giving it a milder flavor.  For this reason, I put one less garlic clove in the recipe/