There is something about an abundance of veggies fresh from the garden (or in my case fresh from my friend's farm whom I've purchased a CSA share from) that gets the old farm girl spirit kickin'. Tie a vintage apron around your waist, haul out the food processor, wash some pretty mason jars, dig out a big pot and colander and assemble your ingredients. My two-step Sweet & Spicy Relish is easy to make, absolutely delicious and perfect for giving away.
For Brining:
*8 cups of shredded veggies. I used:
6 medium green tomatoes quartered
2 medium zucchinis cut in 3" lengths and quartered
1 large sweet onion quartered
**2 whole small red chili peppers (for a low to medium heat)
1 small medium green pepper seeded and quartered
3 medium banana peppers quartered
2 cloves garlic
2 dill heads (crumble the fresh seeds into the mixture)
1/4 cup of Kosher salt
The next day:
1 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. each: black pepper, turmeric, celery seed, dry mustard & dried thyme
Lets get this baby brining:
Shred veggies (careful not to over shred) in batches in the food processor. Place veggies in a colander and drain liquid. Once drained, place veggies in a non-reactive container and combine with salt and dill seed. Give it a good stir and place in fridge for 12-24 hours. (I went about 16 hours).
Brining stage
The next day:
Rinse and drain veggies very well. Give it a taste test. Too salty? You haven't rinsed enough, do it some more.
While the veggies are draining combine all of the "next day" ingredients into a non-reactive pot and bring to a boil. Stir occasionally to make sure the the sugar and dry ingredients are well dissolved. Spoon your veggies into the hot mixture, stir well and bring back up to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Turn off the heat and ladle into clean sterilized jars. Carefully wipe the rims clean. Leave a 1/4 head space at the top. Screw the lids on tight.
Keeping it fresh:
You can use a simple canning method if you think your relish will stick around long enough. Or you can refrigerate for up to one month. Or, you can freeze your relish for about 7 months.
That's it, you have officially brought out your inner farmer. You always knew it was there didn't you?
* Experiment with your veggies! Cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, summer squash... just go for it!
** If you want a medium heat use 3 red chili peppers. Like it hot? Throw in another. It's all about experimenting.
Recipe by Jessica Moreau-Berry
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