Veggie Wednesday: Pickles

Cold Pickles

It's been quite some time since I've posted for Veggie Wednesday, but recently I got the inspiration to do so from pickles I made for the first time.

Pickles aren't really hard to make,  but it's one of those things so easily bought that most people don't think about making them. The recipe and method I'll share is for a very fast cold pickle that doesn't have the depth of flavor of ones made with heated liquid. I'll be making more and changing the method, but for a start these were really good. They're very crisp and perfect with sandwiches.

I started with pickling cucumbers from a local farmers' market and fresh dill and garlic. Not much else, really.
I've come to learn that pickles benefit from a quick blanch in boiling water and also from boiling the brining liquid as well. I went cold on all fronts here and they turned out very good, but I can tell they would be better  using a slightly different method.

Cold Pickles
Makes 2 quarts
Printable Recipe

Two 1-quart canning jars, washed and dried well
10 small pickling cucumbers - washed and quartered lengthwise
Cold water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (I use Bragg's organic)
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 large springs of fresh dill
6 cloves garlic - roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Place 3 cloves garlic, 1 sprig dill, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 Tablespoon kosher salt and 1/4 cup vinegar in the bottom of each canning jar. Stir until salt dissolved.
Add cucumbers, standing up and crowded (this won't hurt them) into each jar.
Add water to cover the cucumbers, leaving a 1/4" space at the top of the jar.
Add lids and set in refrigerator for at least 3 days.
I take mine out and shake them gently each day to keep the flavors distributed well.

Sunday Dinner - Al fresco!

Under a honey locust tree, no less. If you have one of these horrid trees in or near your yard, you'll be wondering what on earth I was thinking yesterday. Well, it was a day-after-the-storm day, which means sunny skies and light winds, perfect weather. I couldn't let it pass by without a picnic, but I didn't want to drag the entire family somewhere only to spend the whole day chasing the two youngest kids away from every imaginable danger.

So, we took the dining room table outdoors (not doing THAT again for a decade) and set it up on the lawn. As soon as we set it down it began raining tiny little green things - the little green things that are covering the top of the shed and car and obscuring my garden. Yes, those little things. They make you itch. They come with little green bugs attached sometimes. They are not good.

We traipsed back indoors to find something to cover the eating area with. We finally found a large sheet and thin ropes and went about setting it all up. That done, I finished off our loverly dinner and we ran from door to table before anything could land in the food. We were successful. We were proud. And then the wind blew.

Ah well, we picked and swept and blew our way through dinner and everyone went away full and content (and itchy).

This is what we supped on:

Fried Chicken (mom's recipe)
Roasted Red Potatoes
Vidalia Onion Pie
Cucumber Salad
Homemade Coleslaw (Well, isn't everything I make homemade? I write a food blog! Redundant, no? Onward...)
White Sweet Corn
Rhubarb Crumble with Vanilla Custard

Vidalia Onion Pie

Chicken and Red Potatoes

Kids lovin' the outdoor dining!

Recipes are linked where necessary, and this is the onion pie:

Four Corners Vidalia Onion Casserole
Printable Recipe

3 cups finely chopped Vidalia onion
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1/2 can cream of chicken soup
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese - grated
hot sauce, pepper, dill, parsley and creole seasoning - all to taste
shredded sharp cheddar cheese - enough to cover each layer
single shallow pie crust

Lightly brown onions in butter in a large frying pan. Stir in soup, eggs, Parmesan and seasonings. Layer the pie crust alternately with several layers of onions and cheddar - ending with cheddar. Bake at 325 degrees F until cheese is light brown - about 1 hour.

**I did this with an unbaked crust and sliced the onions rather than chopping. It was DELICIOUS!

Sunday Dinner

Greek Meat Patties

2 pounds ground or minced Beef or Pork
2 white bread slices (soaked in water for 10 minutes)
1 egg
Lemon (To garnish)
1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced
1 medium Onion, minced or grated
1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh minced thyme

Squeeze excess moisture from the bread and discard
crusts. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients by hand
or with a large wooden spoon. Allow to rest a half an hour
before working with it. Make the mixture into large flat
(thin) burgers and grill about 3 minutes on each side.
grill, approximately 3-5 minutes on each side til done,
but still moist. Don't let them dry out or become dark.
Serve on a platter with wedges of lemon.

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Greek Green Beans Braised With Mint and Potatoes
Serves 4

3 tb Olive oil & margarine, mixed
1 c Tomato juice or sauce
1 lb Fresh green beans- trimmed, cut
1 tb Chopped fresh parsley, opt.
2 md Potatoes; peeled
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh mint

Heat the fat in an enameled pan and mix in the tomato juice or sauce.
Add the green beans and parsley to the pan with enough water to
almost cover. Tuck the potato slices in between, partially cover the
pan, and simmer for 25 minutes, the stir and season with salt,
pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped mint. Cook uncovered until the
beans and potatoes are fork tender, about 10 more minutes. If the
sauce has not thickened, pour it into a small pan, and boil down to
one cup, then combine with the beans and potatoes in a warm serving
bowl. Sprinkle with a little additional fresh mint and serve warm.

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Cucumber Buns

3-1/4 to 3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons snipped fresh chives or 1 tablespoon dried chives
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut up (1-1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon snipped fresh dill or 1/2 teaspoon dried dillweed
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/4 cups of the flour, yeast,
chives, and dill. In a food processor bowl, process cucumber until
smooth (there should be 3/4 cup).
In a saucepan heat and stir cucumber puree, sour cream, water, sugar,
and salt until warm (120 degree F. to 130 degree F--mixture will look curdled.)
Add to flour mixture.
Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds,
scraping bowl. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes more.
Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the
remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and
elastic (6 to 8 minutes). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased
bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover; let rise in a warm place
until double (about 45 minutes).

Punch dough down. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Cover; let rest 10 minutes. Divide into 12 pieces.
Shape each piece into a ball; arrange in a greased 13x9x2-inch
baking pan, allowing space between each ball.
Cover; let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30 minutes).
Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until light brown.
Serve warm or cool. Makes 12 rolls.

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Snow Dessert

1 (10 inch) angel food cake
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 c milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (21 ounce) can blueberry pie filling or other fruit filling or 2 c pudding-any flavor
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Break angel food cake into small pieces, and
spread into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking
dish. Mix together confectioners' sugar, cream cheese,
vanilla, and milk until smooth. Fold in whipped
topping. Pour over cake pieces.
Pour blueberries, other fruit, or pudding
over all. Chill for 4 hours or overnight.