Pickled: Garlic, Cucumbers and Beets

Cucumbers, garlic and beets are in season so we've been eating them fresh, but I also love to pickle veggies so we have a delicious, healthy snack later in the season. 

Who doesn't love garlic?  I seriously can not get enough of it and I've been stocking up at the local farmer's market.  For some reason, I haven't had good luck growing anything other than garlic scapes.

Here's the recipe I love for pickled garlic:  Pickled Garlic

Picled Garlic - YUM!

My cucumbers are going CRAZY this year.  Wowser!  My son Gus is the cucumber king - he eats them like apples right after they've been picked.  Anyway,we  LOVE my Grandma Evelyn's Refrigerator Pickle recipe.

Grandma Evelyn's Refrigerator Pickles

Thinly slice 7 cups of cucumbers and 1 sliced onion - add 2 tablespoon of salt. Let sit for 1 hour and rinse off salt and drain juice. Combine 1 cup of vinegar to 2 cups of sugar and add 2 tsp. of pickling seasoning and bring to a boil.  Add liquid to cucumbers, jar up and refrigerate.  These are fantastic!!

Grandma Evelyn's Refrigerator Pickles in her relish tray

After my running group today (Ski and Tea) I went to the garden and picked another 8 cucumbers (where do they come from so quickly?), so I chopped them all up and I'm going to pickle some in the regular fashion and I'm making "Parents Pickles" with garlic, jalapenos and red pepper flakes for a little variety.   I'll let you know how they turn out (thanks for the inspiration, Susan Buchman).  I wonder how many hours I've spent cutting cucumbers this week?  Ugh.  Let me know if you have an easier way that works.

And last but not least, my Grandma Evelyn's Pickled Beets Recipe - beets ALWAYS remind me of her and I love her recipe.

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Boil 16 beets for about 45 minutes until tender.

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of pickling spice.

Pour over beets and refrigerate overnight.

Yum, Pickled Beets

We're still been checking things off our summer bucket list.  Yesterday we had a play day at the KOA.  If you live in Hayward, have kids over the age of 5 and under the age of 13 - it's a MUST. For $14.00 the kids can swim, mini-golf, jump on their giant outdoor trampoline, take an old fashioned wagon ride, and play on their amazing playground.  Seriously, it's like a vacation for moms too. 

My camera was almost out of juice, so I didn't get the best pictures, but here's one:

Full on water gun fight at the KOA.  No one was exempt from getting sprayed and it was HILARIOUS.  Even my mild-mannered Greta got in on the action.

What are you pickling this weekend?  I'm kicking myself for not pickling asparagus in the Spring!  Oh well, there's always next year.

Thanks for reading,

Kristin

P.S.  I've been meaning to put a picture of my Grandma on my blog.  I still can't believe she's not here with us.

My Grandma and me before the Oprah show in 2009

Kristin

Beets Baby!!

This is no big surprise, but I absolutely love beets.  If you eat a lot of beets you will probably pee red.  I know, too much information, but last Tuesday I was pretty sure I was dying of kidney failure (even though I felt fine), so I thought you needed a warning.

The first recipe inspiration came from Jackie Kruse - she tried this combination at Ryan Braun's restaurant and she sent the ingredients to me.  It's absolutely fantastic!

Beet Watermelon Feta Salad

Watermelon Beet Salad
2 cups of warm beets
1 cup watermelon
1 tsp. tarragon
1.5 cups baby lettuce
1 ounce goat cheese
1 ounce walnuts
Drizzle with raspberry vinaigrette

If you love pickled beets like I do, you'll love this great recipe passed on to me by my Grandma.

Grandma Evelyn's Pickled Beets

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Boil 16 beets until tender (45 minutes) and peel skin

In a saucepan boil 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of pickling spice.

Refrigerate overnight. 

As I've been eating the pickled beets, I've been adding more beets to the jar.  This is soooooo good!

Next up I made an interesting but good Beet Salad with Orange Vinaigrette from Jackie Kruse:

Beets with Orange Vinaigrette:

3 pounds fresh beets or 3 15 oz. cans of baby beets drained
2 T. raspberry vinegar
2 T. freshly squeezed orange juice
3 T. olive oil
1/2 t. sugar
1 1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 c. small diced red onion
zest of 2 large navel oranges
segments of 2 large navel oranges

Boil beets until tender. Drain and cool to handle.
Peel and dice the beets into 1/2 in. cubes.
While warm place in mixing bowl and add the vinegar, oj, EVOO, sugar 
salt and pepper,
red onions, orange zest and orange segments.  Mix well, taste for salt 
and pepper and
serve cold or at room temp.

Last but not least, I will add the Beet, Carrot, Mint Salad from last week.  I just had the last of the leftovers at work yesterday, and I was tempted to lick the bowl.  It's that good.  Yum.

Look at our harvest tonight:

Does anyone have an easy-to-use grater or veggie shredder?  Call me a wimp, but my hands and arms are sore from grating zucchini every day.

Until next time,

Kristin

Zucchini, Potatoes, and Beets

We are getting an abundance of produce right now.  Between the Farmer's Market, the CSA, and our garden we have had our fill of veggies.

I whipped up some zucchini bread for my running friends before our morning adventure today.  We ran 12.25 miles of Telemark hills.  I think I'm still delirous.  The zucchini bread was soooooo moist and tasty (almost everyone agreed).  I also left some out for the kids for breakfast and they took pictures with my camera because they were worried I wouldn't have pictures after they gobbled it down.  They can be so thoughtful.

Zucchini Bread

Click on the link for the recipe:  Super Moist Zucchini Bread

The only difference, is that I used 1/2 whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour.

And you guessed it, this being served in my Grandma Evelyn's platter.


My Grandma Evelyn made the BEST potato salad ever, and whenever she went anywhere, that's what she would bring.  We took her potato salad for granted (at least I did).  I decided I had better learn how to make it while the potatoes are in season.   My Grandma would like to know someone is carrying on her tradition.

Grandma's Potato Salad

Here's the recipe:

12 boiled potatoes cut in 1 inch cubes with skin on.   The potatoes should be slightly firm
Add 1 cup of light mayo, 1/3 cup mustard, and 1/4 cup sugar. 
I also added 5 cubed pickles
Garnish with hard boiled eggs and sprinkle with paprika

This is served in the same bowl my Grandma would bring to every event.  Somehow this hit pretty close to home and I was pretty weepy for about an hour.  Not only because I miss her dearly, but more because life is so different without her.  After she died I cried every day for 6 months, and Greta would say to me, "you miss Great Grandma Johnson today right?"  Today she saw me crying and she said, "you miss her don't you?"  She's such an intuitive girl.


Next up, I made my Grandma's Pickled Beets and added them to a jar I inherited.  I love beets!!

Here they are:

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Grandma's Pickled Beets

Boil 16 beets for about 45 minutes until tender.

In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of vinegar, 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of pickling spice.

Pour over beets and refrigerate overnight.

Yummo!!


This next salad is out of this world (if you like beets).  This Beet and Carrot Salad recipe was provided by Jackie Kruse.  Thanks Jackie!!  I also have a few other beet recipes from Jackie I hope to try later in the week. 

Jackie Kruse's Warm Beet and Carrot Salad

Warm Beet and Carrot Salad with Fresh Mint

4 large beets without tops
2 carrots cut diagonally
3 T. minced fresh mint
3 T. pure maple syrup
1 T. ghee (I used butter because that's all I had)

Boil scrubbed beets for  20-30 min until fork tender.
Steam carrots separately until tender crisp.
Peel beets and coarsely chop.
Combine mint, maple syrup and the ghee in a small bowl to mix.
Pour over the veggies and toss gently. Serve warm.


Thursday night I got together my high-school girlfriends (fun, fun) and we ate at the Livery in Eau Claire.  I had an awesome quinoa, feta, spinach salad.  Friday night we went to the Packer game and had a great tailgate party courtesy of my mom.  I spent Friday morning in Urgent Care with Gus, because he has a bum foot.  Because of his bum foot he had to be wheeled around Lambeau.  Poor kid.

This picture sums up our week:

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!

What a GREAT week!

Cheers,

Kristin