mmm

today I had an urge to make something I'd never tackled before in the kitchen: pickled veggies.  sounds simple...and it was.  the recipe I used was from a cookbook I bought in Jamaica in 2007.  down there they call them escoveitch vegetables, and I remember drooling over their zesty, tangy presence at every meal.  I plan on pairing them tomorrow night with curried lentils and chicken.

for this first time I stuck to the recipe offered in the cookbook. now that I've done a little research online and found that people make these refrigerator goodies with varied veggies like beets and celery, I'll diversify my following ventures.

escoveitch veggies

from Eat Caribbean, by Virginia Burke

2 1/2 c. vinegar (I used distilled white, but look forward to trying others, especially Mrs. Bragg's apple cider vinegar)

2 carrots, cut julienne

1 med. yellow onion, cut in thin slices

1-3 hot peppers (I used 1/4 c. sliced pickled hot peppers per batch)

2 tbsp. allspice berries

3 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of salt

heat all ingredients on medium heat in a non-reactive saucepan on the stove until veggies are just wilted. take off heat, spoon veggies into quart Mason jars, and pour vinegar/spices over them.  you can either seal them in a hot water bath and officially can them, or you can seal them with a ring/lid, let them cool, and put them in the fridge!

my big helper

voila

tomorrow holds another morning serving the southwest MN pregnant/breastfeeding community at work, then coming home to my darlings for an afternoon of creative organizing and thoughtful food preparation.  we are learning how to take time on the things that matter most.  streamlining my home, getting rid of our non-necessities and organizing our must-haves, has helped so much.  there is a new consignment store downtown, and it now holds a big bag of Lydia's gently used clothing and shoes. I've been getting ridiculously good at letting go of possessions that held no purpose, only status, in our home. with each closet organized, each shelf relieved of a stack of books or knickknacks, my heart soars a little more...this simplifying is so freeing!