Quick Pickled Vegetables

One of our favorite meals to make is spring rolls with pickled vegetables, very similar to Bahn Mi and other Vietnamese meals. I immediately thought of the coming spring weather and this healthy meal when presented with Aprils Food in Jars Mastery Challenge - Quick Pickles. This very easy one jar wonder makes a wonderful crispy pickle for any dish.

Ingredients
A variety of veggies (I used a carrot, a cucumber, a celery stalk, a piece of pepper)
one wide mouth 1/2 quart mason jar
For pickling juice: 
1 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. coriander seed
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 bay leaf
lemon zest

Process
1. Prepare your vegetables and cut to roughly the height of the jar.

2. Using one of my favorite kitchen utensils, cut the vegetables into tiny strips. If not julienne them. 

3. Pack them into the jar in alternating layers of color.

4. Reserve what ever scraps you have for vegetable stock and store in the freezer.

5. In a small sauce pan, prepare the pickling juice.

6. Bring pickling juice to a boil over high heat and allow continue heating for a minute or so.

7. Pour hot pickling juice over vegetables in the Mason jar.

8. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

HERE IT IS HANGING OUT WITH ITS FRIENDS

My quick pickled vegetables are ready to go any time but for now I will just let them get tasty while resting with the salt preserved lemons and the Strawberry, blackberry, blueberry shrub I made for this week's mocktails.

Preservation Pasta Party

 Friends gathered on the porch to witness the final sunset of winter while enjoying my recently made Shrubs. On a warm March afternoon, the mocktails were refreshing and healthy - made with seltzer and sparkling lemonade and our Blood Orange shrub (above) and Blueberry Ginger shrub (below).

SP and I were busy bustling in and out, making the pasta dough or  turning the salt preserved lemons into viniagrette. In other moments I was making a red sauce, prepping garlic bread, and then turning to make an Alfredo. Finally I got to put the salad together. 

The salad dressing was much saltier than I wanted, but it is absolutely PERFECT over beets. The two compliment each other perfectly.  I will be buying beets this week to use the rest of the dressing on. 

The best part of the night, was having everyone gather in the dining room to all help rolling out the dough and making it into pasta. This time the pasta making went much more smoothly.
There was the boys side of the table:

And a the ladies side of the table:

Finally it was time to turn the pasta sheets into fettuccine. 

We probably should have let them hang a little longer before bunching them up as  a bunch or two were a bit too sticky to unwind and go into the water. 

Below is the piece d'resistance! Was the freshly made pasta with salt preserved egg yolk grated over the top. Yummy salty treat!

Blueberry Ginger Shrub

As part of the March Food in Jars Challenge, I made another shrub inspired by my desire to kick my immune system back into high gear. I thought the medicinal ginger and the antioxidant blueberries were quite the touch. I used Marisa's Blueberry Ginger Shrub recipe from Food in Jars and doubled it. If you do attempt this and double it, don't muddle in the quart jars as there just isn't enough room to move around, so use a 4 cup measuring cup before pouring it into the mason jar.

Ingredients (for a single recipe)
One heaping cup of blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
One cup unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar (I use Bragg's)
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled

Process
1. Put blueberries in a mason jar and cover with the sugar.
2. Using a muddler or a pestle, mash the blueberries and sugar together and smash into a sweet pukpy mess. The more mess the merrier.
3. Add the vinegar to the jar and stir it all together, vigorously.
4. Grate the ginger over the mess in the jar.
5. Put a lid over the jar and give it a good shake. Dance around the kitchen with it for little while if it makes you smile. The shrub will love the entertainment.

6. Put your shrub in the fridge and let it hang out with it's friends for a few days. Here's mine with the Blood Orange Shrub and neighbors Salt Preserved Lemons. (darn A-1 trying to get its moment in the spotlight).

7. Day two or three, strain the Shrub.

8. Return to a covered mason jar and place in fridge. Use as a mixer in drink of your choice. Here's one recipe I found: http://www.saveur.com/carolina-blueberry-shrub-cocktail-recipe