The joy of pickles

One of my favorite little foodie "extras" is pickles. Cucumbers, chow-chow, American, Japanese - doesn't matter, I love them all. Pickles can be anything: your traditional cucumbers, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, peppers, beans (and if you mix them all together you get the aforementioned chow-chow).

Thanks to the abundance of my wonderful friend Donna's garden, I had the veggies I needed to do some pickling this weekend. I tried canning once and decided it's not really for me, so I like to make quick and easy refrigerator pickles instead. Anyone can throw these tasty treats together in 10 minutes or less, and you can throw in any veggies you want. They're great on their own, with a burger, over chicken salad, or thrown into the food processor and turned into relish.

Carrie's Sweet and Sour Pickles

INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium cucumbers, washed and sliced lengthwise
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 cup vinegar*
- 1 cup water
- 1 T sea salt
- 1 T sugar
- 1/8 cup black peppercorns
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
- several springs of fresh herbs such as dill, lemon thyme, bay leaves, etc.

DIRECTIONS
Pack vegetables, spices, and herbs loosely into jars or a an airtight container. Mix liquids, sugar, and salt in a seperate bowl and stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over vegetables, seal containers, and allow to refrigerate for at least two (2) hours. Enjoy within two weeks (they won't last that long!).

*I used a mix of herbed white wine, cider, and distilled white vinegars. You can use whatever you like.