Pickle Play
The recent hot weather means that my garden is in full swing. The cucumbers have found their way into various salads. The green beans have been perfect when lightly steamed. And, we’ve been eating the super-sweet cherry tomatoes like they are candy. It’s been manageable so far but I can tell that veggie overload is coming soon.

If there is one problem with growing your own veggies it’s the possibility that you will find yourself with too much. Sure, you could give some to your neighbors and friends but sometimes even that is not enough to lessen the load. Or worse, what you have a lot of isn’t what everyone wants to eat. Homegrown tomatoes are easy to give away. (There have been times when I had to break up fights in the office when I brought my extras in. Okay…fights might be a strong word.)

Zucchini, on the other hand, can present a challenge.

I love zucchini. My family merely tolerates it unless it comes in chocolate bread form. So, when I do plant it, I always have more than we will consume.

If you find yourself up to your ears in squash, try making these Zucchini Pickles that I adapted from the Zuni Café Cookbook. It’s one of my all-time favorites and a must-have for the avid cookbook collector. These Zucchini Pickles are an interesting way to use up your squash harvest. And, they make for a nice change from the usual summertime backyard dill pickles. It’s nice to have choices…

Zucchini Pickles
Adapted from the Zuni Café Cookbook: A Compendium of Recipes and Cooking Lessons from San Francisco’s Beloved Restaurant

Yields 2 to 3 pints

Ingredients
1 pound zucchini
1 small yellow onion
6 large cloves of garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons salt, a little more if using kosher
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed yellow and/or brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Directions
Wash and trim the zucchini, then slice them lengthwise into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Slice the onion very thinly as well. Combine the zucchini and onions in a large but shallow non-reactive bowl or casserole dish, add the salt, and toss to distribute. Add a few ice cubes and enough cold water to cover the zucchini, then stir to dissolve the salt.

After about 1 hour, taste and feel a piece of zucchini—it should be slightly softened. Drain and pat dry.

Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric in a small saucepan and simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside until just warm to the touch. If you use the brine while it is too hot, it will cook the zucchini and make the pickles soft not crisp.

Transfer the zucchini, onion pieces, and garlic to three two-cup canning vessels (or the equivalent) and pour the cooled brine to fill. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and permeate the zucchini.

Your pickles will last for a week in the fridge.