Hunger is the Best Pickle

Snooki is NOT the Best Pickle!

Benjamin Franklin is attributed with this quote, and there is something magical about the hunger and yearning that precedes a great meal. Based on our last post, the most frequent question we received was, “When are you inviting us over for dinner?” A fair question. The second most frequently asked question was, “How do you pickle okra?”


The process of pickling (also known as brining or corning) began as a way to preserve food for out of season use and for long journeys (such as your last family vacation in the car). One of the distinguishing characteristics of pickling is that it results in a pH less than 4.6, which is sufficient to kill most bacteria. In short, out of all the recipes we’ve ever posted, you are least likely to poison someone by feeding them homemade pickles!

Pickled okra is a distinctly Southern treat, and that’s why we featured it in our “Walking Gumbo.” This recipe originally came from Mrs. Elsie Holliday (we’ve tweaked it a bit), an upstanding citizen of North Carolina. It was passed along to us through Mr. Randy Pierce, and it is guaranteed to make your tongue slap both sides of your mouth.


Pickled Okra

3 lbs okra
5 cloves garlic (1 per jar or use 1 tsp of minced per jar)
5 fresh red hot peppers (1 or 2 per jar or 1 tsp of crushed red pepper per jar)
1 qt water
1 pt 5% apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup salt
2 tsp dill seed
1 tsp mustard seed
Trim rough stems from top of okra. Soak in ice cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sterilize five canning jars. Place 1 clove of garlic and one hot pepper in each jar. Bring water, apple cider vinegar, salt, dill and mustard to a boil in a large pot on the stove.
Cut a slice in each piece of okra ( to help absorb liquid). Pack okra in the jars. Pour boiling liquid into the jars leaving ¼ head space (the bottom ring on the jar mouth). Add lids and rings to jars. Process jars in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Viola!

It's Always Better When We're Together



Nieces Loreli and Piper hunting Morel Mushrooms


If you are a fan of Jack Johnson’s music (or of Reese’s peanut butter cups), this assertion makes perfect sense! Some things in life truly are better together, and we were reminded of that when we hosted a dinner party Saturday evening. Sharing food with friends enhances the flavor by connecting it with a meaningful experience. The flavor of food is also enhanced when it’s correctly paired with wine or spirits. Here’s the menu from our first Spring dinner party, aptly titled “Rustles of Spring.” Hopefully this inspires you to invite your friends and neighbors to your house for your own spring dinner!



“Walking Gumbo” (Sunny Slopes Farms Johnny Cake, House Made Chorizo, Pickled Blooming Gardens Okra, Wild Caught Gulf Shrimp) paired with an Indiana Sazerac cocktail

Savory Spring Break Pudding (Blooming Gardens Asparagus, Locally Foraged Morel Mushrooms, Scholars Inn Bakehouse Bread, Gruyere Cheese) paired with 2004 Blanc de Blanc, LeReve, Domaine Carneros, Napa, California

Indiana Corn Chowder (Fire Roasted Blooming Gardens Corn, Home Grown Potatoes, Homestead Growers Dairy) with 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Drystone Berridge Vineyard Estates, Marlborough, New Zealand

Hoosier Mama’s Bloody Mary mix with Indiana Vodka

Brick Oven Limousin Beef (Carrico Farms New York Strip roasted in the brick oven, Home Grown Spaghetti Squash with homemade/home canned marinara sauce, Blooming Gardens Broccoli) with 2003 Rocche, Barolo DOCG, Aurelio Settimo, LaMorra, Italy

Whimsical Peanut Butter & Jelly (Endangered Species Chocolate Mousse Tartlet, Easley Vineyard Concord Grape Juice & Peanut Butter Cream Sauce), 2000 Late Bottled Vintage Port, Dow’s, Oporto, Portugal

BJava Brazil Serra Negra Pressed Pot Coffee