What the heck summer temperatures? Where did you come from all of the sudden?! One day I'm enjoying warm breezes and the next I'm sweating before I make it the 20 feet to my car. I have lived in Texas all of my life but summer always seems to blindside me. We went from pleasant to 95 overnight and I was not prepared. The only good thing the weather brought is a growing abundance and diversity at the farmers market.
I mentioned in the last post about starting a series of posts showing what I do with the produce I get at the market. I originally wasn't going to start it this week since I knew I had a 25lb box of peaches to get through and not much spare time, but I was able to pull it off. Below you will find a list of what I got from the market as well as how I've been using it throughout the week. I've included the recipe for the quick pickles below.
Market Finds, 6/8/2013:
- Sweet Corn, Leeks, & Basil -- After cleaning the leeks really well, I sauteed them until the edges were just caramelized, then tossed in the corn and sauteed it briefly (for about a minute). I tossed in some cooked brown rice pasta and a pesto made from the basil, fresh lemon zest and juice, toasted almonds, and olive oil. I ended up tossing in some spinach when eating the leftovers to get some extra greens.
- Romaine Lettuce -- The romaine became a lovely bed for a veggie burger on a hectic evening. I sliced the romaine into ribbons, drizzled on a bit of tahini and lemon juice, then topped it with a veggie burger and a couple of pickle slices. I always keep some veggie burgers in my freezer for hectic evenings when I don't have much time to cook. The ones I use are gluten free/vegan/soy free and are made from veggies and sunflower seeds with no yucky fillers.
- Cucumbers & Dill -- Quick pickles! See the recipe below.
- Peaches -- The majority of the peaches went into peach jam and peach butter for the market. What was left I enjoyed along with my granola in the morning or as a sweet treat in the evening. If you are in the mood for baking, try these mini peach breakfast cobblers or these cardamom peach muffins. Or, if you don't feel like turning on your stove, try these rosy peach fools.
Quick Pickles
notes: I used a raw apple cider vinegar so you'll notice the pickling liquid is brown. You can use any apple cider vinegar or white vinegar that you prefer. Feel free to change up the whole spices if you want. I can never seem to remember to buy dill seed at the market so I've used fresh dill here.
about 1 quart kirby cucumbers or other small cucumbers (I used about 7)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp pink peppercorns
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp whole allspice berries
handful of fresh dill fronds
1 cup filtered water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
clean/sterilized quart jar (or 2 pint jars)
Scrub your cucumbers until clean, then chop off the very ends and discard them. Slice your cucumbers into rounds or spears (this depends on your preference). I chose to slice them in rounds on the bias. Add the garlic cloves, spices, and dill to your clean jar, then add the cucumbers, making sure to pack them in. Set the jar aside. To make the brine, combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a saucepan and bring it to a boil, making sure the salt dissolves. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat. Carefully pour the hot brine into your prepared jar. You may have some leftover brine depending on how many cucumbers you were able to pack in the jar. Place a clean lid on the jar and let it sit on the counter to cool off slightly before putting it in the fridge. Wait at least 24 hours before enjoying your pickles. The pickles will last in the fridge 1 to 2 months (or more). Makes 1 quart.
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