Pickles!

This summer, when your garden has produced the produce that you gardened, you may be looking for recipes for all that good vegetation. Here is a great pickle recipe I got from my Nana.

Half Sour Pickles

1 dozen small pickling cukes (6 or 7 if they are larger)

1/2 gallon of water

3 stalks fresh dill

3/4 cup white vinegar 1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 cup Kosher or Sea Salt 5 or 6 peppercorns

fistful of pickling spice (seriously, that's what the recipe says, fistful)

1/2 onion, cut into chunks

Bring the water to a boil and set aside to cool. Dissolve salt in vinegar with some of the hot water.

Wash & pack cukes in a container that has a lid.

Add spices, dill & garlic.

When the water is cool, pour water/salt mixture over cukes, then pour remaining water in. (Warm water will cause cukes to get soft. Make sure water has cooled.)

Cover & refrigerate. Ready to eat in 3 - 7 days. Depends on your taste.

Next time: What the Hell Am I Gonna Do With All These Tomatoes?

East Meets on West

As some of you may know, we divide our time (in the warmer months) between our home on the Eastside of Worcester & the Westside. Last year, after making some great new friends at EYC (Espress Yourself Coffee, 2C Richmond Ave), we celebrated the end of summer with dinner at Westside Steak & BBQ (2A Richmond Ave). This year we started the summer off with the same idea. On June 1 we gathered with friends for an evening of BBQ, beer & music. Luckily, one of the attendees is a fabulous photographer and captured the event. The rest of the pix can be seen at http://gallery.mac.com/sespach#100009

If you are interested in joining the next dinner, look for us at the end of summer. Or look for us on any given day or night at EYC.

Westside Steak & BBQ won Best BBQ in Worcester Magazine Best Of 2008. They also were runner-up in the Best Ribs & Best Wings categories.

Photos by Greg Shevchuk