Icebox Pickles: No heat required!

No cooking required.

My last summer before college, I dated a fellow whose mother always had a bowl of what she called  "icebox pickles" in her refrigerator. She explained to me that it was perfect for summer because it required no heat, just mix and leave overnight in the fridge. Icebox Pickles take full advantage of a cucumber's natural crispiness and, as they're stored in the "icebox" (aka: the fridge), they're cool and refreshing in the heat of summer.

I'd never tasted anything like them before. I found my fork actually seeking out onions for the first time in my life; they were super-thin, just this side of raw, with a pickly-sweet crunch that perfectly complemented the cucumber.

This is a double batch, sliced super-thin with a mandolin, to give an idea of how much veg you need.
"Six medium cucumbers" is so very subjective!

A few years ago, I began trying to reproduce these unique pickles (with two unsuccessful attempts), when I found a recipe for "Marinated Pickles" on the recipe blog for my CSA, and suddenly I was in heaven. The recipe required no cooking, no heat -- cool and crunchy, all the way, so I adapted it to suit what I keep in my pantry/garden. Slice veggies thinly, toss it all together in a jar or bowl, and leave it in the fridge overnight. Easy, Fresh, Crisp. Summer!

Marinade (because it's technically not a brine if you don't boil it), before vigorous shaking.

The recipe is below, and calls for cucumbers and onions, but as you can see I added some green pepper and super-thin carrot. Use what you have.....

UPDATE, Summer 2018: After several years of experimentation, I have significantly reduced the amount of sugar from 1/4 cup to 1-1.5 TBSP. I kept cutting it and not finding a difference in flavor...until I went below 1 TBSP this year. Try this for yourself! See where your palate notices the change.

Click here for printable recipe.

Kohlrabi: alien or spare baseball?

It almost looks squidlike, doesn't it?

Kohlrabi is a cool-looking vegetable, there's no denying it. I'd never tried it until last year when I opened up the farm box and thought "what the heck is that crazy thing and how on earth can I cook it?" I ended up cutting off the cool parts and tossing it with salt, pepper and olive oil and roasting it. I've not yet met the vegetable that didn't roast well. The verdict was "meh" from both myself and my husband. It is nice mixed in with roasted carrots or potatoes, but I wouldn't seek it out in the grocery store.

I should really like kohlrabi. It has a crisp texture not unlike a potato, but not starchy. It has a very mild flavor, reminiscent of celery or maybe broccoli. It sounds great but the reality is rather underwhelming. Lucky for me, I have a foodie cousin who is an accomplished cook. She advised me that kohlrabi makes a terrific spare baseball. Funny, eh? I remain undaunted for now and intend to give kohlrabi a few more chances to amaze me. I feel certain that there must a way to unleash the lovely, mild flavor in a way that makes me look forward to seeing it in my box each spring.

There was no way to make this look appetizing.

Sadly, my second preparation, this Kohlrabi Puree, was not the ticket. The incorporation of the stems/leaves really appealed to me. The flavor profile seemed right. But I didn't really care for it. It was not smooth enough for my taste -- a blender might have been a better option than the food processor -- but that's a lot of fuss for a flavor that is nice but not spectacular. I think perhaps a slaw is the way to go with this one.

I'm going to be getting it, so I might as well find a way I like to eat it. My husband remains skeptical that kohlrabi will ever achieve anything beyond "meh" for him.

Inside My Fridge - June 5, 2011

In my fridge this week, we are in CSA heaven already. We only got one head of kohlrabi, not enough to try this kohlrabi puree, so that will have to keep. We have sugar-cured sliced ham, napa cabbage, bok choy, a massive head of broccoli, some gorgeous purple onions and assorted salad greens. I finally have beets enough (lower shelf in the middle) to make these Beet Chocolate Cupcakes, so that will definitely happen this week!

Also bottom-right I have some jasmine rice with peas and carrots (right next to the highly-recommended Summer Shandy). My time-saving tip of the week is to cook twice as much rice or pasta as you need and store the rest for quick sides or to make up easy vegetarian meals. The peas are homegrown! Next batch will have our own peas and carrots, if those ever last long enough to make it inside.

I have gone a bit crazy with cold summer beverages. You can see some homemade lemonade (in the Mason jar), so easy with citrus simple syrup, but there is also some green tea and cold-brewed coffee. Yes, that's right, I found a way to make a superb iced coffee -- no heat required because it is getting HOT here in the mid-south.  I will share details in a future post!

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