Excerpted from FIELD NOTES FOR FOOD ADVENTURE by Brad Leone. Copyright © 2021 by Brad Leone. Photographs by Pat O’Malley. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
- 1 pound mixed veggies (carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, radishes, mushrooms), cut into quarters or halves
- Fresh chile, cut into thin strips (optional for heat)
- 1 cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
- 6 fresh bay leaves, crushed
- 1 tablespoon ground black and pink pepper, or any ground pepper blend
- 1 teaspoon za’atar
- Kosher salt, equal to 2% of the total weight of all the above ingredients (including liquids) combined
Preparation
Place all the veggies in jars or other vessels. I use crocks and bowls or jars, as long as the veg sits in liquid. Add the chile, if using.
Combine the remaining ingredients in a saucepan and warm on the stove top. Don’t let the liquid get hot, just warm…like the temperature you give a child a bath in, but maybe a little hotter. Stir until the salt dissolves. Add a little more vinegar or water to adjust to your taste.
Pour the liquid over the veggies. Let sit at room temperature for a couple hours before serving. Or place in the fridge and allow all the ingredients to get to know each other for a day or two. Eat the pickles with everything.
