Classic sour dill pickles

Yield:

• 1 gallon pickles

Time:

• 30 minutes active, 7 days inactive.

Difficulty:

• Easy

Ingredients

• 5 pounds whole unpeeled Kirby cucumbers (the smaller the better)
• ½ gallon filtered water [1892 grams]
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves (dried or fresh)
• 1 dried whole chile pepper
• 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• ¼ bunch fresh dill, washed (leave the
• stems on)
• 1½ heads garlic, cloves separated and crushed

Instructions

1. If desired, fill a large bowl or bucket with ice and water and place the cucumbers in it. Let sit for 45 minutes or up to 5 hours. This helps firm the cucumbers so they retain crunch during the fermentation process, but it’s not absolutely necessary. 
2. Fill a large ceramic crock or glass jar (gallon-size is ideal) halfway with the filtered water. Add the salt and stir until it has dissolved. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the salted water, then add the cucumbers. Make sure the spices, herbs, and garlic are not simply floating on the surface. 
4. Create a seal: If fermenting in a crock, use a plate or a wooden board to force the vegetables beneath the brine. If necessary, top with a clean glass growler or jar filled with water to ensure that the weight applies pressure on the vegetables, keeping them submerged. It fermenting in a jar, use a smaller jar filled with water to do the same. . Cover with a towel to keep out dust and hugs. 
5. Let the soon-to be-picklcs sit at room temperature for 3 to 7 days. The longer they sit and ferment, the sourer they will become. At a stable room temperature, half sour pickles should take 2 to 3 days to ferment and full sour pickles should take 5 to 7 days (the amount of time may vary based on air temperature and even elevation) . You’ll notice that the pickles will turn paler as they ferment. 
6. Once the pickles reach the desired flavor, remove any white yeast or mold (or moldy pickles) from the top of the vessel and discard them. Yeasts and molds are a natural part of the process and typically occur only on the surface, where oxygen meets the vegetables. Don’t worry.  Pack your pickles into smaller glass jars, then cover completely with brine and place directly in the refrigerator. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Notes:

• To keep pickles crisp, you can [1] add grape, tea, or horseradish leaves to the pickling solution, [2] ferment in a cool location, [3] trim off the blossom end, [4] puncture skin if thick, [5] add a small amount of calcium chloride (¼ t per gallon)
• A Ziploc bag filled with brine and placed on top of the pickles also helps ensure an anaerobic seal. 
• Ideal brine is 3-4% salt by weight (35g / liter of water, or 132g /gallon). 

Variations:

• Add turneric to improve final color

Source: Gefilte Manifesto.

Khmeli Suneli (Georgian Spice Blend)

Yield:

• About ½ cup (without the optional ingredients) 

Time:

Difficulty:

• Easy, except finding the ingredients

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ground blue fenugreek (or if unavailable, 2 tablespoons powdered dried fenugreek leaves plus 1 tablespoon ground fenugreek)
• 2 tablespoons ground coriander 
• 1 teaspoon powdered dried red chiles
  
  Optional or to taste:
  
• 3 tablespoons powdered dried marigold or safflower petals (Georgian saffron)
• 2 teaspoons dried dill
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons dried mint 
• 1 teaspoon dried summer savory 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
• ½ teaspoon ground celery seeds

Instructions

1. Combine the fenugreek, coriander, dried flowers, if using, chiles, and optional spices and herbs as you like in a bowl. 
2. Store in a widemouthed glass jar.

Source: Naomi Duguid, Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients

• 3/4 c minced onion [about half a medium onion]
• 1.5 c plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped [about 4 large]
• ¼ c minced cilantro
• 2T lime juice

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in medium nonreactive bowl and season with salt to taste.
2. Add more lime juice to to taste.

Source: Brendan McDermott.

Cranberry Relish

Time: Overnight

Yield: 1 1/2 pints

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cranberries
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 2T red horseradish

Method:

1. Grind the cranberries & onion together. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Put in a plastic container and freeze.
   
2. Thanksgiving morning (or even the night before), move the container from the freezer to the refrigerator compartment to thaw (it should still have some little icy slivers left). The relish will be thick, creamy, and shocking pink.

Source: James Beard, via Susan Stamberg on NPR's All Things Considered.