Hamburger pickles, pickled brussel sprouts and other quickles

Gin quickles

Never let the perfect be the enemy of the just dandy. That truism is never truer than when it comes to refrigerator pickles.

In an ideal world, I clear the decks, haul out my mother's old canner, sterilize the jars and go all in on the hot water bath. The result is highly satisfying: rows upon rows of shelf-stable jewels, ready to reward your virtuous efforts whenever you choose.

But the world I live in involves two kinds of headspace when it comes to making pickles: the one in which you leave a half-inch gap or so at the top of the jar before processing, and the mental headspace I need to be in to tackle all that. Canning is nothing to go half-in on, and while pickles are among the easier things to can, you still need to be in a very focused place with enough time to follow steps carefully so you ensure proper food safety. My advice when canning is never, ever deviate from the recipe and make sure you're following one developed by a reputable cookbook or source. Food poisoning is not good eats.

Plus, given the time commitment, getting around to using up the produce before it becomes compost is a race I might well lose.

Thus the case for the quickle, the kind where you skip the hot water bath and just store the results in the refrigerator. With less time commitment, you're much more likely to try something new, and less resentful if it doesn't work out. The worst thing that happens is that you might find a new favorite pickle you want to go all-in on and actually can.

Here are some new recipes I tried this fall.The first one is a prime example of the advantage of not canning the pickles so you don't have to follow the recipe to the letter: I wanted to use whole small pickles, but they don't fit in the same 1-quart jar as the original recipe, and there was no way onion chunks and a spice bag were fitting in one jar. So I just poured in all the spices and divided everything between two jars. The second time I made this I sliced the onions instead and it worked better. Since I was leaving the spices in the jar instead of pouring the mixture through cheesecloth, I halved the spice amounts and was very happy with the results.

Hamburger pickles

Pickles adapted from “A Burger to Believe In” by Chris Kronner. This cookbook builds the perfect burger from the ground up, with no detail left to chance. Hence these pickles. I haven't done the whole nine yards yet, but it sounds like a great quest.

Ingredients

1½ pounds pickling cucumbers (the smaller the better)

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 tablespoons coriander seeds

½ tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon caraway seeds

½ tablespoon dill seed

½ tablespoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 star anise or ¾ teaspoon anise seeds, optional if you don't like anise

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

¼ teaspoon celery seed

2 whole cloves

2 allspice berries

2 bay leaves

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic

3 cups white vinegar

Method

Wash the pickles and cut off the ends. Pack pickles into 2 pint jars, or 1 pint and 1 quart jar, depending on the size of your cucumbers. Put 1 tablespoon salt in each jar, and 1 tablespoon dill. Shake to distribute evenly. (Alternatively, you could slice them into quarters lengthwise, which does make it easier to pack them into jars efficiently, but whole pickles hold up longer in the refrigerator than spears.)

Combine coriander, caraway, dill seed, peppercorns, mustard seed, anise, fennel seed, celery seed, cloves and allspice in a small bowl. (You’ll be much happier with yourself if you mix them up in advance because it’s hard to properly measure out that many ingredients in a timely fashion while trying to toast them briefly.)

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and spice mixture. Toast until fragrant, a  minute or so, stirring often to avoid burning them. Add the vinegar and increase the heat to medium high. Bring to a simmer and then remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Divide pickles and garlic among the jars, pushing them down in among the pickles. (The handle of a wooden spoon works well for this.) Pour vinegar and spices over pickles in the jar, dividing up the spices and brine as best you can between the two jars. Cover with canning lids and let cool before refrigerating.

Rating: These are really, really nice. Wonderful combo pack of spices, even though it looks like a spice rack dump when you look at the ingredient list. Even though there's no sugar, there's an almost sweet taste implied by those spices you associate with baked goods like cloves and allspice. Someday I might try them by using the cheesecloth spice bundle method, but right now I'm not messing with success. A definite keeper, although keeping them on hand might be a challenge.

Pickled brussels sprouts

Adapted from the traditional hot-water bath method on the Farm to Table site.

Ingredients

4 cups brussels sprouts (smaller is better)

1 ⅓ cup white vinegar

⅔ cup sugar

⅔ cup thinly sliced onions

⅓ cup red bell peppers, chopped small

1 tablespoon mustard seed

½ tablespoon celery seed

1 heaping ¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 heaping ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

Wash brussels sprouts and remove any hard stems or outer leaves.

Bring a salted pot of water (4 teaspoons coarse salt per 1 gallon of water) to a boil Add sprouts and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from heat but leave them in the water while you prepare the rest of the recipe, because this is the only cooking the sprouts will get since we’re not doing a hot water bath.

Combine vinegar, sugar, onions, peppers, mustard seed, celery seed, turmeric and red pepper flakes in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Divide onion and red bell pepper among the jars. (The size and number will depend on how big your sprouts are; I used 2 jars of less than a quart each.) Drain brussels sprouts and divide among jars. Pour brine over sprouts, covering as much as possible. Wipe rims clean and cover with canning jar lids. Let cool completely before refrigerating.

Rating: Dave called them tasty little pickle treats and said that next to roasting them with bacon, this was his favorite way to eat them. I wouldn’t go that far, but they’re a not-bad treatment and a sweet/savory counterpart on the plate to pork or chicken. I don’t think I’d go out of my way to ever do the water bath version, but again, that’s the beauty of quickles: You’re more willing to experiment.

This next recipe is a fine example of how freeing it is to make refrigerator pickles. I was intrigued by the gin/juniper combo suggestion in this quickle tutorial. The author outlined her standard formula for refrigerator pickles with which she's found success. I took one look at those ratios and knew they wouldn't suit me, as I don't like my pickles that sweet, but the flavor profile of the juniper-dill-gin was a winner.

Gin quickles

Adapted from food52.com

Ingredients

2 tablespoons fresh dill

1 ½ pounds small cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick crosswise

2 ¼ cups vinegar

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

4 juniper berries

1 tablespoon gin

2 bay leaves

Method

Pack pickle slices in 2 pint jars (more or less, depending on the size of your cucumbers). Divide dill among jars.

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt, juniper berries, gin and bay leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt are dissolved. Cool for 5 minutes and pour over cucumber slices. Seal with canning lids and let cool before refrigerating.

Rating: Very refreshing and tasty. Make great sandwich pickles. I'd make these again.

The next recipe was more or less an experiment based on what was in the herb pots. I used the brine base from a Cooking Light quickle recipe I've made for years.

Lemon pickles

Ingredients

1 pound small cucumbers, sliced ¼-inch thick crosswise

2 fat strips lemon peel (a peeler works)

4 sprigs lemon basil

A generous dash of crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup water

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Method

Place cucumbers in 2 pint jars. Put a strip of lemon and 2 sprigs of lemon basil in each, tucking down into the cucumbers. Shake a bit of crushed red pepper into each jar and shake to incorporate.

Heat vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool a few minutes and then pour over cucumbers. Seal  with canning jar lids and let cool completely before refrigerating.

Rating: Very nice, bright flavors, and nicely balanced. Repeatable combo.

And another stand-by that I've blogged about before is the Fast-Favorite Dill Pickles from Epicurious. They're good as refrigerator pickles, but they're also a great gateway to canning. And that might be a good idea, since oddly enough my refrigerator is a little full of pickles right now.

Frittata with roasted vegetables

 

At a certain point in heavy produce season, you need a way to use up odds and ends. This recipe is a valuable receptacle for garden bounty. Just tuck a bunch of vegetables into the bottom of a roasting pan, cut into sizes so they'll get done about the same time depending on how quickly each kind cooks, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, roast about a half hour and you're set to make this frittata whenever you're ready. With the vegetables already cooked, it works well as a fast-fix meal for weeknights, weekend lunches with a green salad or for brunch.

Adding herbs such as rosemary or fresh thyme leaves to the vegetables as they roast is a nice touch, or you can mix them in with the eggs before baking. Red and yellow peppers work nicely here as well, as does butternut squash. Any leftover cooked vegetables can work in this, although roasting gives deeper flavor to the final dish. Parmesan is nice, but you can use whatever cheese you've got at hand. Basically, this dish is more of an approach than a recipe.

Frittata with roasted zucchini

Adapted from Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food, May 2005

 

Ingredients

3 summer squash or zucchini, halved lengthwise and then sliced into ½-inch thick slices

1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges

5 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

10 eggs

½ cup grated Parmesan

Coarse salt and pepper

Method

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed roasting pan, combine squash, onion and plum tomatoes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper. Bake about 25-30 minutes until vegetables are tender and starting to brown. Set aside. (At this point, you could let the vegetables cool and refrigerate them for several days until you’re ready to use them.)

Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees. Brush remaining teaspoon of olive oil inside a large quiche pan or deep dish pie plate. Put 4 cups of the roasted vegetables in the dish, reserving any leftover roasting oil for another purpose (so tasty).

Mix eggs, Parmesan, 1½ teaspoons coarse salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Pour over roasted vegetables. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until frittata is golden brown and set in the middle. Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold. Serves 6.

Rating: Simplicity works here. Elemental, but good. Good enough that you'll plan leftover vegetables.

Lemon-ricotta blueberry pancakes

 

Spoiler alert: Wow, these are good.

I was browsing through my breakfast cookbook section this morning in search of yet another thing to do with blueberries, preferably something not too involved. I ran across a recipe for lemon ricotta pancakes, which worked for me because I've lately been on a lemon-ricotta appetizer kick and had just the right amount of ricotta on hand. I figured I'd just add blueberries and be done.

Lemon-ricotta pancakes

Adapted from “Rise & Dine: Savory Secrets from America’s Bed & Breakfast Inns” by Marcy Claman. I'm not really the target audience for actual B&Bs, but their recipes are worth making in the comfort of one's own home where one isn't possibly expected to interact with strangers before having a spot of tea. This recipe comes from the Grünberg Haus Bed and Breakfast in Waterbury, Vt. It's still operating and looks pretty funky cool in a fab location, but it has new owners so who knows if these awesome pancakes are still on the menu.

Ingredients

¾ cup flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon nutmeg

Zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided

1 cup ricotta cheese

⅔ cup milk

2 eggs

1 cup or more fresh blueberries

Powdered sugar for serving, optional

Method

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, nutmeg and lemon zest in a large bowl. Whisk to mix.

In a separate bowl, whisk together ricotta, milk, eggs and lemon juice. Stir into dry ingredients. It will look a little runnier than most pancake batters I’ve encountered, but if you let it sit while you heat up the griddle to 350 degrees, it will tighten up a bit.

Lightly grease hot griddle. Pour ⅓ cup batter onto griddle. It will spread out into a 5- to 6-inch pancake. Dot the surface of each with about 10 blueberries. Cook on one side until the batter on top is very nearly set and flip, cooking until lightly golden on the other side.

Since these spread out quite a bit, unless you have a really big griddle, it’s going to take some time to cook that many (it makes about 10). And these are thicker, softer pancakes, so be prepared to have them take longer to cook. You probably don’t want to have your temperature much above 350 or your pancakes will get too brown before they’re cooked through.

Serve topped with more blueberries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, or butter and maple syrup.

Rating: The only thing wrong with serving these to company, other than having to make them in stages, is that it's nearly impossible to eat these without making mmm, mmm sounds. These are really freaking good, with the ricotta giving them a velvety texture, and the lemon and nutmeg giving it much more flavor than standard-issue pancakes that rely more on liberal doses of butter and maple syrup for their tastiness.

While I was interested in using up blueberries, these would I suspect be perfectly lovely without as well.

Followup: I made these again without the blueberries and substituted orange zest/juice because that's what I had on hand that needed using. That's a perfectly fine variation.

Tomato confit, fast and slow

Roasted cherry tomato confit

 One of my favorite things about summer is bringing in heaping handfuls of small little tomato jewels from the garden. In order to keep on top of them before the fruit flies set in, I turn out little pots of tomato confit to use on pizza, pasta and bruschetta. It freezes well, so I get to savor a bit of summer in the winter, too.

My go-to recipe for years has been a New York Times recipe published in the Star Tribune Taste section years ago, but I recently ran across a variation that could be made in a slow cooker. Given that one of my Pinterest boards is titled “Make that slow cooker do something,” this struck a chord. Plus, while it takes much more cooking time, it doesn’t mean turning on the oven when the August sauna descends.

Tomato confit

Adapted from “The Chef and the Slow Cooker,” by Hugh Acheson

Ingredients

16 plum tomatoes

1 tablespoon kosher salt

8 black peppercorns

4 bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme for a double-shot of lemon)

8 garlic cloves, smashed

2 fat strips of lemon zest (he recommends using a peeler)

2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

Method

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Put tomatoes in boiling water three to four at a time and blanch until skin starts to separate, anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute depending on the size of your tomatoes. Remove tomatoes to an ice water bath with a slotted spoon. Peel and core tomatoes, placing them upright, core-side down in a slow cooker insert. Repeat until all tomatoes are peeled and cored and lined up like little tomato soldiers. (If you don't have tomato-canning hardened hands, you'll need to let them cool a bit until you're able to handle them.)

Season with the salt. Add peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, garlic, and lemon zest. Pour olive oil over the top.

Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on low for 4 hours. Transfer tomatoes and flavorants to large jars. Top with cooking oil. Cap the jars and let cool. Store in refrigerator.

Rating: This was just fine. It makes a perfectly fine sauce, although not finer than an average stove-top simmered sauce. The lemon flavor didn't seem to come through, which was a disappointment. Perhaps doubling the amount added would help. Again, there's nothing wrong with this sauce, and the oil could have lots of other uses, but it is time consuming and fussy compared to its comparative worth.

Ready for the oven: 1 whole wheat pizza crust, a schmear of cherry tomato confit, and dollops of ricotta mixed with lemon zest, garlic and thyme

Cherry tomato confit

Adapted from the New York Times, which had the audacity to suggest discarding the wonderful roasted garlic. Sacrilege.

Ingredients

2 pints cherry tomatoes (a mix of colors is nice)

8 to 10 garlic cloves, peeled and halved if large

3 springs fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Kosher salt

Crushed red pepper flakes

¼ cup olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread tomatoes on a rimmed roasting sheet. Tuck garlic in between the tomatoes. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and a generous pinch of red pepper flakes. Drizzle with the olive oil. Bake about 30 to 35 minutes, or until tomatoes are wilted and garlic and some of the tomatoes are just starting to get a touch of brown.

Remove from oven and smush gently with a spatula to spread the garlic a bit.

Rating: Truly one of the more wonderful substances. Roasting the cherry tomatoes makes them a spreadable sweet-savory treat, with just a touch of heat from the pepper flakes. Spread some goat cheese on toasted baguette slices, top with some of this and you've achieved perfection.

 

Obviously not all tomato confits are created equal. The cherry tomato confit is still hands down my favorite. It's much faster to make, both in terms of prep and cooking time, and the roasting really brings out the tomato flavors. It takes much less olive oil, so you're more likely to always have the pantry ingredients on hand. On the other hand, all that olive oil that goes into the slow cooker version gives you lots of flavorful olive oil in return that you can drizzle on pretty much anything, from risotto to roast chicken. And it does help out plum tomatoes, and makes a "just fine" sauce that doesn't require any stove top attention.

Blueberry ricotta orange scones

 

Fresh blueberries. Sunday morning. A tub of ricotta in the frig. The result was seemingly inevitable.

Blueberry ricotta scones

Adapted from bakerbynature.  She used lemon zest and iced them with a lemon juice-confectioner's sugar glaze. I didn't feel like lily gilding this morning, so I just opted for butter and I was in a mood for orange.

Ingredients

2½ cups flour

⅓ cup flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon orange zest

8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

½ cup ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons half and half, plus 1 teaspoon, divided

1 egg, beaten, plus more for brushing tops

1 cup fresh blueberries

Coarse sugar for sprinkling

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt and orange zest. Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until it looks like coarse crumbs.

Mix together ricotta, half and half and egg in a small bowl. Mix into flour-butter mixture with a fork. Fold in blueberries just to incorporate.

Turn out the rough dough onto a lightly floured board and shape into a circle about an inch thick. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to baking sheet. Brush with beaten egg mixed with 1 teaspoon half and half. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Rating: Nice. Respectable delivery device for plump juicy blueberries.

Random, but lovely

Well hello, handsome. This gem finally burst on the garden scene after seemingly weeks in the bud stage, and long after I’d forgotten I’d even planted it.

When I saw two lily-ish things poking through by the garage this spring, I was puzzled and at first thought they were another example of my tiger lilies going rogue in a spot where their vivid orange would be most jarring. I’d forgotten that when I hit reset on that particular garden bed last year, I’d planted three of these lilies, only to have them felled by rascally rabbits in short order, long before they bloomed. 

The entire bed was a mass of good intentions gone awry, since the order of bare-root plants arrived at the worst possible moment and it kind of went downhill from there.  So this year, while pondering how to regroup minus the three astrantia plants that didn’t survive last year’s delayed planting, I was wondering what on earth those lilies were.

Now I know, and I wish there were more of them, and that it wasn’t the middle one of the threesome that died, naturally, leaving an odd gap. The rest of the bed is a hot mess, but at least now I know I’ve got something lovely to work with.