Descending from the recipe bible of the matriarch herself, Erna M. S. (my great grandma), comes a rather easy, straightforward method for these crunchy, classic, low-sodium pickles that require much less work than those that are traditionally canned. One bite of these beauts, and I'm thrown back to my 7-year-old days, visiting with grandma in her kitchen, sampling goodies like these very pickles and, of course, saltines topped with strawberry jam. Although G.G. Erna is no longer with us, her masterpieces will trickle down for future generations to relish, no pun intended. Thanks, G!
1 gallon jar or ice cream pail Approx. 5 lbs. cucumbers, thinly sliced 1 medium red onion, sliced 1 medium white onion, sliced 2 cups distilled vinegar 4 tablespoons salt 4 cups sugar 2 tablespoons celery seed 1 teaspoon mustard seed 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Thinly slice enough cucumbers to fill a one gallon jar, container or pail. In no specific order, combine ingredients, stir the mixture and cover. They will be ready to eat within a few days (if you can wait that long) and will keep in refrigerator for about 2-3 months.
Having just concluded chapter 16 of Barbara Kingsolver's, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle appropriately titled, Smashing Pumpkins: October. I fell into a bit of an emotional state. It's mid-August and my garden is slowly dying, coming to an end, ceasing to exist, expiring, kicking the bucket, what have you. Although once the garden meets its fate, the seasonal change will bring newfound, weekend freedoms consisting mostly of..hockey. Don't get me wrong guys, I'm a fan, but still, heavyheartedly speaking!
Having developed a deep connection with a piece of land for the past 6 months (call me crazy); marking the four directions, wiping dripping snot from the nose while making fence in the chill of April, planting the seeds, experiencing garden foes (below), harvesting a plethora of rich bounty only to see it wilt, shrivel up and be cultivated and/or die will be difficult. On the brightest side, I am now a firm believer in the power of the circle, the medicine wheel, natural healing and native american practices, both agriculturally and spiritually. But mostly, I trust the influence that nature has on us miniscule beings andour minds, our bodies and our souls.
What does this mean? It means that within the past week, Jon returned from his school trip to UC Berkeley with a sense of relief after presenting our project to some pretty important people. I don't blame him. In addition to the academia involved, the garden alone was a huge undertaking. The only thing on my mind is grad school. The second I found the major, it was decided. But, which college? Will I go for a Master's, Doctorate? And location, where do I see myself living, working and BE-ing in the next 2-6 YEARS?! TBD. Our garden may be 'dying,' but our project has only begun.
"The Circle has healing power. In the Circle, we are all equal. When in the Circle, no one is in front of you. No one is behind you. No one is above you. No one is below you. The Sacred Circle is designed to create unity. The Hoop of Life is also a circle. On this hoop there is a place for every species, every race, every tree and every plant. It is this completeness of Life that must be respected in order to bring about health on this planet." Dave Chief, Oglala Lakota
It appears that the title, Refrigerator Pickles isn't fitting for this post after all.
Another hot summer day with a refrigerator full of nothing but nature's blessings; peppers, onions, cilantro, peaches and tomatoes, oh my! This refreshing salsa is a combination of sweet, chunky, tangy and salty and it's sure to please, even on the warmest of days.
1 red onion, diced 2 medium tomatoes, seeded, diced 1 green pepper, seeded, diced 1 yellow pepper, seeded, diced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded, diced 1 peach, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced 2-3 teaspoons lime juice 2 sprigs of fresh cilantro, finely chopped A pinch of garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients. Refrigerate a bit before serving to fuse flavors. Serve with tortilla chips or over a warm, cheesy black bean taco. Enjoy!
