LIGHTER PICNIC FOOD: PICKLED VEGETABLE CRUDITES, Vegan

Get ready for a picnic treat -- low-sugar moreish pickled vegetables 

first posted Dec 2017

This 67goingon50 recipe for ultra-healthy people-pleasing crudités can be freely eaten by all members of the picnic party.  Despite taking only an hour to prepare, the veg are crisp and crunchy with bold flavours -- perfect for dining outdoors.   

The method is simple: a bit of veg trimming, a quick blanch in boiling water and a soak in hot pickling liquid made from general household ingredients.  

Refrigerate a few hours and you have a stunning collection of colourful, sensationally tasty vegetables.

Only make enough for the number of expected guests; the vegetable pickles are best eaten on the day they're made.    

Cost: £1'ish
Serves: 4 as a starter or on a buffet table

Ingred:

   1 large carrot, in sticks (see photo above)
   generous handful cauliflower florets, slightly thicker than carrot sticks
   1/3 medium pepper, de-seeded, in finger size strips

   bowl of ice water large enough to take the above

The following are left raw:   
   handful mushrooms, quartered
   handful peeled celery in strips the size of the peppers
   handful cucumber sticks, de-seeded 
   50 gm/2oz radishes, trimmed
   50 gm/2 oz sugar snap peas or mange tout, strings removed  (opt)

Pickling liquid:
    min 4.5 tbsp, max 6 tbsp sugar (67 used 4 1/2)
    140 ml red wine vinegar (or white or cider vinegar if you haven't red)
      10 ml reduced-salt soy sauce (Amoy or Pearl River Bridge)
    150ml cold water or cold blanching water from veg
    1 tbsp grated ginger
    1 tbsp grated garlic
    1/2 star anise

pepper& salt

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil; add carrot sticks & cauliflower; reduce heat to med high; after 1 min, add strips of pepper. 
2. Prepare bowl of ice water
3. At the 4 minute mark, remove veg with slotted spoon or spider (saving blanching liquid), and plunge into ice water.  Leave a few mins; drain; 
4. Arrange blanched and raw veg in the bottom of a heatproof dish that will hold the veg in one layer
5. Mix pickling liquid ingred in a saucepan; place over med high heat until steam rises from the surface and bubbles appear around the edge
6. Pour hot pickling liquid over the veg
7. Leave to cool, stirring occasionally, until all is at room temperature 
8. Drain, reserving liquid
9. Arrange veg on a plate, sprinkle with sesame seeds, pepper & a little salt 
10. Refrigerate until ready to serve
11. Serve with cocktail sticks and plenty of serviettes 

Comments:

• 'They're delicious!.  I like the mushrooms best.  I don't normally like celery but the pickling makes them edible.'  Hospital governor + local councillor 
• 'Wow!  Incredible.  The snow peas are my favourite but the cauliflower is amazing.'  Office Administrator
• 'Mmm..mmm! All the veg are delicious.  I am making these for Christmas Day.  Normally I eat crudités as a chore but I love the cauliflower and I normally detest cauli!'  Political Agent

Tips:

• the leftover pickling liquid can be re-used once within 3 days
• a lighter pickling solution can be achieved by mixing 2-3 tbsp sugar, 75 ml white vinegar and 75ml cold tap or blanching water with your own choice of herbs and spices

                                            
                                       For more sides, go to NavBar/Recipes II/Sides...

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.