Lately, I've been on a pickled vegetable kick. This may have been sparked my most recent visit to Big Star, a Wicker Park (Chicago) "honky tonk" bar, serving a great assortment of beer, whiskey, and tacos. The sounds of Nashville and Bakersfield (a genre of country music developed in the mid-to-late 50s) fill the bar. They also have a few sides, one of which is pickled vegetables. A big jar of them sits on the counter. I love to pop in for a taco or two, a side of pickled vegetables, and a hoppy I.P.A. to wash it all down (my favorite at the moment is Green Flash Brewing Company's West Coast I.P.A. and Bear Republic Brewing Company's Red Racer 5).
You can pickle any number of vegetables. I used black radish, garlic, carrot, cauliflower, onion, jalapeno and fresno peppers. Some other veggies that you could use include: jicama, cucumbers, fennel, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans...
My other inspiration for pickled vegetables comes from Chef Paul Virant of Vie Restaurant (rated one of Chicagoland's best restaurants). Last time I was there, I wandered into their pantry (shhh, don't tell) and was mesmerized by all the jars of pickled vegetables. If you take a look at their menu, you'll see that they incorporate pickled vegetables into many of their dishes; for instance, pan-roasted arctic char, black lentils, spicy la quercia coppa (had to look this one up; prosciutto, in case you were curious too), pickled celery organic crème fraiche sauce (good stuff).
This particular recipe was adapted from Rick Bayless' "pickled chiles with other vegetables" recipe [from Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico]. This recipe is a bit different than other pickled vegetable recipes I've seen. For one, it has no sugar, and, in my opinion, I don't think it's needed. Second, it calls for you to saute the vegetables first before simmering in a mild brine.
Pickled vegetables
1 black radish, sliced ~1/8 inch thick
1 carrot, sliced on a bias ~ 1/2 thick
1/2 onion, sliced ~1/8 inch thick
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into individual florets
2 jalepeno peppers, seeded, cut on a bias ~ 1/2 inch thick
2 fresno peppers, seeded, cut on a bias ~ 1/2 inch thick 6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin live oil
2 bay leaves
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or oregano, or marjoram)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Sea salt, to taste (~ 3/4 teaspoon)
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic and saute, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes until lightly browned; remove and set aside. Add the vegetables, and saute, stirring frequently until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar, 1 cup water, browned garlic, bay leaves, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a non-corrosive container, cool. Cover and refrigerate for a day before using. Will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator (as long as the brine covers them).
You can pickle any number of vegetables. I used black radish, garlic, carrot, cauliflower, onion, jalapeno and fresno peppers. Some other veggies that you could use include: jicama, cucumbers, fennel, asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers, green beans...
My other inspiration for pickled vegetables comes from Chef Paul Virant of Vie Restaurant (rated one of Chicagoland's best restaurants). Last time I was there, I wandered into their pantry (shhh, don't tell) and was mesmerized by all the jars of pickled vegetables. If you take a look at their menu, you'll see that they incorporate pickled vegetables into many of their dishes; for instance, pan-roasted arctic char, black lentils, spicy la quercia coppa (had to look this one up; prosciutto, in case you were curious too), pickled celery organic crème fraiche sauce (good stuff).
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| Cornucopia Pickled Vegetables at Vie Restaurant |
This particular recipe was adapted from Rick Bayless' "pickled chiles with other vegetables" recipe [from Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico]. This recipe is a bit different than other pickled vegetable recipes I've seen. For one, it has no sugar, and, in my opinion, I don't think it's needed. Second, it calls for you to saute the vegetables first before simmering in a mild brine.
Pickled vegetables
1 black radish, sliced ~1/8 inch thick
1 carrot, sliced on a bias ~ 1/2 thick
1/2 onion, sliced ~1/8 inch thick
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into individual florets
2 jalepeno peppers, seeded, cut on a bias ~ 1/2 inch thick
2 fresno peppers, seeded, cut on a bias ~ 1/2 inch thick 6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin live oil
2 bay leaves
5 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme (or oregano, or marjoram)
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Sea salt, to taste (~ 3/4 teaspoon)
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the whole garlic and saute, stirring frequently for about 3 minutes until lightly browned; remove and set aside. Add the vegetables, and saute, stirring frequently until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar, 1 cup water, browned garlic, bay leaves, fresh herbs, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a non-corrosive container, cool. Cover and refrigerate for a day before using. Will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator (as long as the brine covers them).
For those of you interested in canning, I found this helpful link Canning Manual on the University of Illinois at Chicago's Hull-House webpage.
3 comments:
This looks great, How long will it keep for?
And do you have to water process the jars?
Thanks!
Will keep several weeks in the fridge as long as the brine covers the vegetables. I did not sterilize the jars so they are not shelf stable.
Great stuff you share here. Love the variety of info. My wife and I can a lot and pickled vegs are something we are starting to do much more of. Still in search for the perfect recipe for Jardineria....any tips or recommendations?
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