Got to spend a bit of time in my slightly neglected garden this afternoon. I must say the plants love it that I am not out there hacking away at them – they have a chance to stretch and grow any which way the wind and sun coaxes them.
I suppose a wild garden can have its charm…not really. Ah, but that’s nature – always tumbling towards chaos while we mere mortals try to bring some sense of order to it. Well, that’s my excuse for my over grown garden and I’m sticking to it.
After cleaning up a few wildly overgrown plants I discovered that I will soon be up to my eye balls in lemon cucumbers. So called, not because they taste like lemons but because they look like lemons. They are so delicious and crisp but you have to wear thick gloves to pick them because they have prickly thorns all over them. Contrary to popular belief, gardening can be a dangerous thing…it’s not for the delicate. Gardeners need to have a thick skin and strong backs yet I think all gardeners have soft hearts. Luckily we love pickles, so I’ll be making a few batches of Chinese Style Refrigerator Pickles with said cucumbers, along with carrots, daikon radish and ginger. Here’s my favorite recipe: 1 c water
1 c white vinegar (or you can use cider vinegar)
2 c sugar
1/4 teaspoon tumeric (optional for color)
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 lb daikon radish, peeled and sliced
1 lb cucumbers, peeled and sliced
4 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
3 Tablespoon salt
pinch or two of chili flakes (optional)
Combine first four ingredients in a non-reactive pot (stainless, enamel coated, or glass). Heat to a boil, stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar. Cool to room temperature. Put the veggies in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for 20 minutes to draw out the water. This will ensure that your pickles are crisp. Rinse with cold water and drain well. Squeeze the veggies to get rid of the remaining water and place in a clean jar or jars. Pour brine over the veggies, cover and put in the refrigerator. They taste best if you let them sit for at least 2 days but I usually can’t wait and start munching after a few hours.
These pickles are great as a side with sandwiches or my favorite is in veggie sushi rolls. Yum!
see ya!
