Un Poco Picoso

Pepperoncini

This past weekend my friend Maya invited me over to her house in south Austin to do a little harvesting in her garden. We picked peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, eggplant and herbs.

Dizzy from the sun, and maybe the melon margaritas as well, we looked over our harvest and pondered what we would make. Maya planned to make escabeche, so she got to working on that. Disappointed that her jalapenos and serranos did not have much kick she decided to throw in a little ghost chile to the mix. Whoa! That did the trick. Caliente and crunchy, the way I like escabeche!

For a snack I made a chunky pico de gallo with sun kissed tomatoes, chunky avocado, cilantro and some pepperoncini. We enjoyed the pico with toasty corn and flax chips and slices of creamy queso panela sprinkled with crushed chile flakes. Maya almost took herself out when she got the spice grinder buzzing and the volatile oils from the chilies got in the air. All for a good cause. We like it hot! 

Pico de Gallo

Next up we tackled a huge bowl of vegetables to make a fabulous gazpacho. Most of the time I find gazpacho less then satisfying because it tends to be watery. But oh no, not this gazpacho. Loaded with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onion, garlic, tons of fresh herbs and a little bread. The mix is made luxurious with the addition of rich Spanish olive oil. Let the Vitamaix whirl and drizzle it in. It emulsifies beautifully and the texture is that of like a cream of tomato soup, superb! Finished with a tangy splash of Sherry vinegar and diced vegetables on top this is the essence of summer in a bowl. I think we made two gallons. Seriously.

Gazpacho

I helped to clean up then headed home. Of course I wasn't sent off empty handed. I came home with a bag full of more goods. Tiny eggplant, cucumbers, a jar of soup, two jars of pickled peppers and a kafir lime plant. Wow, thanks Maya! Today I  pickled and made a batch of sweet & spicy bread and butter pickles. They have just a little spice or like my Grandmother says "un poco picoso" these pickles make a nice addition to an appetizer plate, sandwich or chopped into egg salad for a little fiery touch. Tomorrow I will tackle the eggplant. Stay tuned for that recipe. Have you started preserving the seasons bounty yet?

Kirby Cucumbers

Picosito Pickles (Just a bit spicy)
2 pounds Kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons coarse salt

2 cups ice cubes

3 cups distilled white vinegar

2 1/4 cups honey

1 teaspoon whole mustard seeds

1 teaspoon celery seed

3/4 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

4 dried hot chilies

1. To draw out excess liquid and increase crunch, toss cucumbers and onion with salt in a large colander. Add ice, and toss again. Place over a bowl, and refrigerate, tossing occasionally, for 3 hours. Drain. Rinse well, and drain again.

2. In a large sauce pot combine vinegar, honey, all the spices and chilies, Bring brine to a boil. Take brine off heat once honey has dissolved and allow to cool slightly. Carefully transfer brine into another bowl to allow to cool further.

3. Sprinkle in a little more of the spices into your jars, this makes a nice decorative touch. Generously fill the jars with the chilled pickled and onions.

4. Fill the jars to the top with the chilled brine. Using a long stick or knife go around the edges of the jar. This allows excess air bubbles to disperse.

5. Allow some flavor to develop by letting the pickles chill in the fridge for a minimum of two weeks before serving.

Un Poco Picoso Pickles