Pickled Veggies

At a recent family reunion we discussed the health benefits of fermented veggies like kimchi and sauerkraut.  These dishes can be complicated for the home cook, and we all agreed that plain old veggies were also good for you!  Duhh.

And here is a halfway point - lightly pickled begins.  You can choose many crispy veggies for this; these are just some suggestions.  I learned this technique a long time ago from my Chinese cooking teacher, but I add considerably less sugar than she taught over 25 years ago.  With the acid from the vinegar, they last quite some time in the refrigerator.
4 cups cauliflower
3 cups cabbage, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 carrots, sliced
1 large purple onion
2 center stalks of baby celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, sliced in thirds, lengthwise
palmful fresh dill, including flowers/seeds
panful fresh basil leaves and flowers

Pickling marinade:
3 cups white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp kosher salt
3-4 cups water
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Place veggies in a large container.

Mix together pickling marinade in a bowl until the sugar and the salt dissolves, reserving about a cup of water. Pour over veggies. Top off with a bit more water if necessary, just to submerge all veggies in broth. Cover and refrigerate for at least a day or two. Lasts for at least a week or two in the refrigerator.

Serves many - depending on pickle preference! Share with friends.