Small Batch Spiny Gherkin Pickles & Doin' All The Things.

to old friends and new. 

Small Batch Spiny Gherkin Pickles

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Doin' All The Things.

(also, i'm kinda famous now.)

garlicky brine is always the answer.

I stumbled across these Hmong Farms-grown maxixie cucumbers at the Brookline farmers' market last week. After excitedly staring at them for a good two minutes I picked out what looked like a good bunch (?) and brought them to the cashier. My gleeful confusion was not exactly mirrored by the guy who sold them to me, but I would not be deterred. I had no idea what they were or what to do with them but was absolutely certain that they needed to be mine. Find a strange, vaguely Seussian variety of gherkin while doing your weekly produce shopping? 

The only option is to pickle the hell out of it. 

Garlicky Small Batch Spiny Gherkin 

(Maxixie Cucumber) Pickles

(makes one quart or two pints)

1 bunch spiny gherkins (also know as maxixe cucumbers), about 8

1c apple cider vinegar

1/4c water

4 garlic cloves, smashed

1 large head of dried dill, or 2 teaspoons dill seed

1Tbsp kosher salt

1tsp unrefined sugar

1/2tsp brown mustard seeds

Add garlic, mustard seeds and dill seeds to a clean quart canning jar, 

or distribute evenly between two pint jars.

Wash and thoroughly scrub gherkins, then cut lengthwise into quarters or eighths, 

depending on your pickle thickness preference.

Whisk together vinegar, water, salt and sugar until dissolved.

Stuff cucumber slices into jars, pouring water and vinegar mix over top until covered.

Cover jar(s) tightly, give them a good shake, and refrigerate.

The longer they sit, the more the flavors will develop.

all the pickled things.

spiny goodness.

And now, a little note to all of my Boston-area peeps on the subject of donuts: did you know that Union Square Donuts is making VEGAN DONUTS in their shop every Saturday??? I literally squealed (there may also have been some swearing...) and did a happy dance when I heard the news. Then I got my ass to Somerville, stood in line (WORTH IT) and ate way too many donuts.
It was a very good day.

donut art is the best art.

nothing bad can exist when there are vegan donuts.

that glaze though...

cinnamon-iest/ sugar-iest/ best

And also, I'm kinda famous now. Not really, not at all...but I do have a recipe in this week's Guardian Cook. Squee! Paprika-lime chard chips FTW.
That means for the win, mom. Sheesh...

snackage, 10 best variety.

that's me.

And then I saw my favorite (current) band for the second and third time this month. This is what happiness looks like. If you're not listening to Titus Andronicus 

you're doing something wrong. 

Middle East Upstairs, night one.

night two, stickles as jagger.

till next time.