The Good Life : Gherkin Relish
My family enjoys gardening year-round thanks to the greenhouse we added years ago and now the geodesic bio dome this past Autumn. Another treat we enjoy year-round is homemade gherkin relish usually from the garden harvest if it was a good year. Pickles make a great appetizer or addition to the appetizer table and even to enjoy with dinner. In this post I want to share a new favorite recipes of mine from a garden gal I met last year at the Garden Blogger Conference. It is a recipe from one of my favorite garden and cookbooks : The Good Life: Four Glorious Seasons in My Country Garden by Sarah O’Neil
Ingredients
- 2.25 kg gherkins
- 1 kg onions
- plain salt
- 4 cups of sugar
- 1 litre white vinegar
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
Instructions
- Finely chop gherkins and onions. A food processor works well here.
- Place in a bowl and sprinkle with a small handful of plain salt. Leave overnight.
- The next day pour off excess liquid and bring to boil with the sugar and 750 ml of the vinegar.
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, mustard, curry powder and the rest of the vinegar. Add to the gherkin mix, and stir well.
- Cook gently for 20 minutes, stirring frequently as it can burn on the bottom.
- Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
You must stop over to Sarah’s site to check out great recipes like Pickled Green Tomatoes, Pickled Radish Seed Pods and another one of my favorites Strawberry Christmas Mince Pies. Sarah The Real Gardener’s Recipes at : http://www.sarahthegardener.co.nz/#!the-recipes/c1sk1
Getting Social with Sarah the Gardener
Strawberries are so good! I love summer! :o) pic.twitter.com/ttitpjlBGP
— Sarah O’Neil (@SarahtheGarden) November 27, 2015
One of the things I love about social media is I can carry on a conversation with great gals like Sarah who gardens in New Zealand basically anytime. When I asked Sarah if I could share her recipe she ran out to her garden and snapped a few photos of her beautiful cucumber crops. In New Zealand they are just starting their summer season as we wait for winter to arrive. Another bonus with being connected with talented gardeners online from around the world is you get to enjoy gardening year-round.
Cookbook / Gardening Book Review
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The Good Life : Book Review
Summary
The Good Life: Four Glorious Seasons in My Country Garden Paperback is a cookbook / gardening book I keep on out on my main counter because if I’m not growing the veggies mentioned in this book I’m preparing it as as meal. I just adore the Author who I was fortunate to meet in person in 2015 at the Garden Blogger Conference in Atlanta. This book is filled with fun journal entries about life in the rural backblocks on New Zealand that every gardener (even me from the states!) can appreciate and connect with. I love the greenhouse tips and the wonderful recipes featured in this book. Dehydrate zucchinis information on page 159 is something new I tried after reading her book – PERFECT food preservation idea because I personally always have tons of zucchini in my Ohio garden. Thinking about starting a garden this year or expert that has been growing veggie for years … this is the book for you!
Do you enjoy growing cucumbers? What do you do with your harvest – please comment below so we can connect.
Thanks Bren for your kind and lovely words and thanks for the book review. I love being opposite to everyone else, so I can borrow Northern Hemisphere sunshine during my winter and then return it during my summer.
I may have to make up a batch of the strawberry Christmas mince pies as I have loads of strawberries at the moment!
Cheers Sarah : o) xxx
I hope you will share the strawberry Christmas mince pie recipe on your social media…. sounds wonderful!!!!