Picked Pickers

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.

July 05, 2022

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 2 Quart(s)
  • 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.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: 2 Quart(s)
  • 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
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