A tiny side dish of varied, colorful quick pickles is standard in most Japanese restaurants. And grocery stores have an entire refrigerator case dedicated to them. Quick pickles are a great way to introduce crisp texture, vibrant colors and a salty/sweet/sour palate cleanser for rich foods such as fried pork (tonkastu), tempura, or grilled chicken thighs (a must-order at any yakitori restaurant).
I wanted to find a use for my delicious infused wine vinegars from last week’s post, and I immediately thought of making a quick pickle. These would pair well with any richer food, like burgers or pork. Or fried rice. If you’re a pickle fiend like I am (and Carla, too), they make a lovely afternoon snack.
The rosemary & thyme red wine vinegar is a natural pairing with carrots. The intense, earthy herbs are perfect for the sweetness of the carrots. Make them at least 2 days ahead of time to give the vinegar a chance to flavor the carrots. Refrigerate and use within 2 weeks.
Basil and lemon white wine vinegar is bright and refreshing, which is a slam dunk for crisp, light cucumbers. These only need a few hours before they’re ready to eat, but they also won’t last as long as the carrots. The vinegar flavor will get progressively stronger, so try to eat them within a week of making.
One year ago: Mini edible cheese bowls! Make crispy, salty frico out of Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano and serve tomatoes in them.
- 2 small cucumbers
- about 3/4 cup lemon & basil infused white wine vinegar (see link to recipe in the post)
- about 3/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 peppercorns
- You'll also need an airtight jar that holds about 1 pint. A mason jar is perfect.
- Cut the cucumbers into spears. Make them just long enough to leave about 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. Pack the cucumbers into the jar.
- Fill the jar halfway with the vinegar. Add water to fill just to the top of the jar. Pour the water and vinegar out of the jar and into a small saucepan, leaving the cucumbers in the jar.
- Add the sugar, salt and peppercorns to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer (don't boil).
- Pour the hot liquid and peppercorns over the cucumbers, back into the jar.
- Let the jar cool, then cover with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator. Consume within a few days.
- 2 carrots
- about 3/4 cup rosemary & thyme infused red wine vinegar (see link to recipe in the post)
- about 3/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 10 peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- You'll also need an airtight jar that holds about 1 pint. A mason jar is perfect.
- Peel the carrots and cut into spears. Make them just long enough to leave about 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. Pack the carrots into the jar.
- Fill the jar halfway with the vinegar. Add water to fill just to the top of the jar. Pour the water and vinegar out of the jar and into a small saucepan, leaving the carrots in the jar.
- Add the sugar, salt, peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic to the saucepan and bring the mixture to a simmer (don't boil).
- Pour the hot liquid, peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic clove over the cucumbers, back into the jar. Tuck the bay leaf and garlic into the carrots so they continue to infuse the liquid with flavor.
- Let the jar cool, then cover with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator. They will need 2 days for the vinegar to impart some flavor to the carrots. Consume within 2 weeks.
Yum! We’re pickle fanatics over here in our house – can’t wait to try out your recipes:)