Pickled Vegetables {quick and easy refrigerator pickles!}
Use whatever veggies you fancy for these quick and easy Pickled Vegetables. They’re crunchy and tangy and completely irresistible!
It’s the simple homemade foods in life that give me the most joy. A cup of steaming hot coffee topped off by an easy froth of warmed half and half (using this tool) and a generous shake of raw sugar, a robust sun-dried tomato spread to slather across a wrap for lunch, a perfectly charred and caramelized sugared ribeye pulled off the grill. Yes, this is the very best stuff. Quick and easy, full of flavor, and made with my own two hands.
Now here’s another easy recipe I’m so happy to share with you, my latest pickling obsession. The recipe is highly adaptable. Use whatever veggies you fancy (my favorite combo is English cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, and a variety of sweet bell peppers), just promise me you’ll make a batch. These Pickled Vegetables are crunchy and tangy and completely irresistible!
Also be sure to check out a few more of my pickled favorites: There is always a jar of pickled red onions in our fridge. Always! And all the gratitude to my mom for introducing me to her refrigerator sweet pickles and her sweet onion coleslaw dressing. Love. Love. Love!
(photos courtesy of Johnna Holmgren Photography)
Today is an anniversary of sorts for me. As of today, I have been working at SALA Architects for 15 years. Starting out as a full time employee when Blake and I were first married, traveling between both the Minneapolis and Stillwater offices, I have now worked solely in the Stillwater office for the majority of those 15 years. I was offered great flexibility after our first daughter was born and reduced my hours to half-time, and now I go into the office just 2 days a week…my desk in this quaint Stillwater office has been my work-away-from-home “home”. (If you’re in need of a talented residential architect, whether you’re in Minnesota or across the country, just let me know. I can hook you up!)
Across the street from the office is a gem of a cafe, if you’re ever in my neighborhood. Brimming with all kinds of deliciousness and proud of its local sourcing, the Chilkoot Cafe and Cyclery is one of my favorite spots to grab coffee or lunch with a friend from work. The menu is hand drawn by Bear Fox Chalk, an amazing work of art that always mesmerizes me and leaves me pondering the switching of careers.
(photos courtesy of Johnna Holmgren Photography)
The Chilkoot lunch menu is never short on flavor or variety, loaded with all kinds of fresh salads, sandwiches, and wonderful soups. But my favorite dish, the one that I always ask for a double helping of, is their side of pickled vegetables.
I was so unbelievably happy when the cafe’s owner shared the recipe with me, so I could also share it with you. I’ve taken the liberty of downsizing their recipe that makes 5 gallons of pickled vegetables, thinking you might not need quite that much. (You’re welcome.)
(photos courtesy of Johnna Holmgren Photography)
Coffee at Chilkoot Cafe and Cyclery is always fresh and hot and beautiful, using beans roasted in house. Order a hot breakfast plate and one of their beautiful pastry items, and your day will be off to an awesome start.
(photos courtesy of Johnna Holmgren Photography)
All their desserts are made in house. The glass dessert case, a major temptation while standing at the menu board, is in constant rotation of beautiful and seasonal creations.
(photos courtesy of Johnna Holmgren Photography)
This cafe is definitely unique. Walk to the back, or enter through the side door, to find yourself in a full service bike shop. Proud to offer incredible attention to detail, the cyclery personally fits individuals to just the perfect bike. They also offer a full line of accessories, plus bike repair and service, and are super active in the local biking community.
I love to highlight local foods and talents. A special thank you to Chilkoot Cafe and Cyclery for sharing this recipe for their pickled vegetables, and to Johnna Holmgren Photography for the cafe photos. Be sure to check out more about these companies, plus Bear Fox Chalk…
Chilkoot Cafe and Cyclery – website, facebook, twitter, instagram
Johnna Holmgren Photopraphy – website, facebook, twitter
Bear Fox Chalk – website, facebook, twitter, instagram
Pickled Vegetables {Quick And Easy Refrigerator Pickles!}
Ingredients
- ½ of a sweet yellow onion thinly sliced
- 2 large garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 6 c. thinly sliced vegetables of your choice – use any combination of carrots golden beets, sweet bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, cauliflower, etc.
- 6 sprigs fresh dill
- 2 T. yellow mustard seeds
- ½ T. peppercorns
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 c. rice wine vinegar
- ½ c. cider vinegar
- ½ c. water
- ¾ c. sugar
- 2.5 T. kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large heat-safe bowl, combine onion, garlic, and your choice of vegetables. Then top with the dill. Place mustard seeds and peppercorns in a small ziplock bag, cover the bag with a towel, and use a kitchen mallet or rolling pin to crack the mustard seeds and peppercorns up a bit. Then pour them into a coffee filter, add the bay leaf, and tie the filter securely with kitchen string. Add the spices to a medium sized pan along with the vinegars, water, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Pour boiling mixture, along with the spices, evenly over vegetables. Let come to room temperature, give everything a stir, and then cover and refrigerate. After 24 hours, discard the spices and transfer pickled vegetables to a large jar or a few smaller jars if desired. Keeps very well for up to a month stored in the refrigerator.
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