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Quick pickled pizazz
By JANET K. KEELER © St. Petersburg Times,
Bumpy and sour and delicious, pickles tickle different taste buds than tuna and chips, to which they are the perfect accompaniment. What a pleasure to wake up that sleeping mouth. Homemade pickles are the best, but there can't be many of us left who still drag out the canner and Ball jars and put them up at home. Who has the time and inclination when Claussen and Heinz and others do the work for you? Even so, you needn't deny yourself the lusty, earthy flavor of a homemade pickle. You, thoroughly modern, new millennium, microwave-and-takeout you, can make pickles. It doesn't take bushels of produce or three or four baths. Salt, some clever spices and one good soaking in vinegar syrup will do it. And homemade pickles aren't just for picnics; good ones add quick special flavor to several simple weeknight suppers. A new book, Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes with Big Flavor by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95), guides cooks through the process of turning out flavorful, hassle-free pickles in the time it would take to bake a cake. The pickle trio doesn't limit its pickling recipes to cucumbers. Indeed, mangoes, peaches, carrots, corn, rhubarb, green tomatoes and cabbage find themselves in pickles to be served with grilled steaks or pork chops, sauteed shellfish and braised pot roast. Some are so delicious on their own, they will become the hit of your next hors d'oeuvres party. To pickle simply means to preserve, and the vegetable garden or produce stand offers so much that can be embellished with everything from garlic and mint to fish sauce and nutmeg. In a few hours, thinly sliced carrots become sesame-pickled carrots with ginger strips. The piquant pickled carrot slices dressed up grilled salmon fillets in our house on a recent evening. Company wasn't invited but should have been. On another night, Rhubarb Pickles with Caramelized Onions stood up to grilled T-bones, adding a depth that couldn't be provided by sauteed mushrooms, even exotic ones. (The ground cloves in the rhubarb pickles makes them taste as if they should grace the Christmas table, but at that time of year fresh rhubarb is as impossible to find as a job at a dot-com company. Don't be tempted to use frozen rhubarb; it lacks the crunch these pickles need.) The beauty of quick pickles is that for a small investment of money and time they can change the tenor of a meal. A one-note entree of baked chicken becomes a symphony when Balsamic-Pickled Peaches are draped over the top. Likewise, Sweet and Hot Curried Zucchini Pickles give subtle pork chops a boost. You'll be surprised at how these pickles have the snap and crunch of fermented pickles. An acidified syrup is either boiled separately or left cold (as in the case of fruits) and then poured over the fruits or vegetables. If the syrup, a mixture of vinegar, spices and usually a sweetener such as brown sugar or juice, is hot, the pickles are ready by the time the mixture cools to room temperature. The heat softens fruits and vegetables but does not cook them. In recipes where the vegetables should retain their crunch, kosher salt, or another coarse salt, is used to draw out moisture before the syrup is poured over them. The liquid infuses quickly into the vegetables to replace the liquid leached out by the salt. Thus, the pickling process is hastened. The only special equipment needed to make quick pickles is a slicer that will let you shave cucumbers and carrots thinly. If you've got extremely sharp knives and a steady hand, you can do it that way. A fancy mandoline costs $150 or more at a specialty shop such as Williams-Sonoma. I bought a plastic one for about $9 a couple of years ago at TJ Maxx. It's plenty sharp, and I have the bloody war story to prove it. Watch what you're doing with these things; in just minutes a 7-inch carrot is 3 inches long and your fingers are perilously close to the blade. Most recipes in Quick Pickles call for non-reactive bowls or pans. A non-reactive vessel is one made of nonporous material that prevents a chemical reaction when it comes into contact with acidic foods. Aluminum is reactive; glass, stainless steel, ceramic and enamel are not. Making pickles that snap is a snap. There may be easier ways to zip up ordinary meals, but I don't know of any as satisfying. If you need to show off a little in the interest of good taste, here's your chance. Sesame-Pickled Carrots With Ginger Strips
In a medium saute pan or wok, heat the vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the carrots and half of the ginger and saute, stirring frequently, until the carrots are crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Remove to a non-reactive bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil plus all the remaining ingredients to the sauteed carrots and toss well to combine. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The flavor of these pickles does not blossom fully for 24 hours. After that, they will keep for a month, covered and refrigerated. Shake or stir them once in a while to redistribute oil. Makes 4 cups. Source: "Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor" by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95). Rhubarb Pickles With Caramelized Onions
In a large non-reactive bowl, combine the rhubarb with salt. Mix well and let stand for 1 hour. Drain the rhubarb, then rinse and drain it again. Set aside. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the onions and saute, stirring, until they are lightly browned, 11-13 minutes. Sprinkle with the dried cranberries and set aside to cool. In a medium non-reactive saucepan, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, cranberry juice and orange juice and bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring once or twice to dissolve the sugar. Add the orange zest, jalapeno, ginger and cloves, bring back to a simmer and then remove from the heat. Add the cooled onions and cranberries to the rhubarb and pour the hot syrup on top. Allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered, then cover and refrigerate. These pickles are delicious served with grilled beef. Puree some and drizzle it over soft-shelled crabs or pork. Makes about 4 cup. Source: "Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor" by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95). Famous Back Eddy House Pickles
Trim and discard blossom ends of cucumbers, then cut cucumbers into rounds 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick. In a medium non-reactive bowl, combine cucumbers and salt and toss to coat. Cover with ice cubes or crushed ice and let stand in refrigerator 1-2 hours. Drain cucumbers, rinse well, then drain again. In a medium saute pan, combine oil, garlic, carrots, bell peppers and onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent browning, until carrots "sweat" and soften a bit, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and combine with cucumbers. In a non-reactive pan, combine vinegar, brown sugar and all spices. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Continue to boil 5 minutes to flavor syrup with spices. Pour boiling syrup over vegetables, allow to cool to room temperature and then cover and refrigerate. These pickles will keep, covered and refrigerated, 1 month. They are fantastic as low-fat, high-flavor, crunch-imbued appetizers, so serve your guests a plate of them instead of the standard cheese and crackers. Makes about 12 cups. Source: "Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor" by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95). Sweet and Hot Curried Zucchini Pickles
In a large non-reactive bowl, combine zucchini, onions, chiles and salt; let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse twice to remove salt, then add grapes and set aside. In a medium non-reactive saucepan, bring all remaining ingredients except ginger to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to dissolve sugar. Pour hot liquid over squash mixture; squash should be amply covered or slightly afloat. Place ginger slices inside a fold of plastic wrap and crush with a mallet or other blunt instrument. Add ginger to squash mixture, allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. These pickles develop great flavor after a couple of hours of refrigeration and will keep well, covered and refrigerated, 3-4 weeks. Makes 8 cups. Source: "Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor" by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95). Balsamic-Pickled Peaches
In a non-reactive saucepan, combine balsamic vinegar, vermouth and pineapple juice and bring to a boil over high heat. Add peaches and immediately remove pan from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered, then cover and refrigerate. These pickles will develop a very nice flavor within an hour or two of cooling, but they are better if left for 48 hours before eating. They will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 6 weeks. If you want your pickles to have a lighter, more peachy color, you can substitute white balsamic vinegar and dry vermouth. Serve these luscious pickles alongside any meat, particularly roast pork, baked chicken or lamb. Makes about 4 cups. Source: "Quick Pickles: Easy Recipes With Big Flavor" by Chris Schlesinger, John Willoughby and Dan George (Chronicle Books, 2001, $18.95).
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