Posted in zucchini, tagged pickled, zucchini on October 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »
I pickled two zucchini rampicanti exactly the same way as the eggplant.
These zucchinis are not like the regular zucchinis. They are more firm and do not soften, so they are perfect for pickling.
zucchini sliced in strips
boiled zucchini in wine vinegar, drying for 1 to 2 hours
pickled zucchini rampicanti preserved in mason jars
Posted in vegetables, tagged eggplant, pickled on October 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »
If you like eggplants and haven’t yet tried preserving them in oil, please give it a try. The finished product makes an excellent pizza topping, pasta or salad add-in, or can simply be placed on top of toasted bruschetta or add a few strips to your favorite sandwiches. You can also mash or puree the eggplant add some of the oil and additional salt and pepper together to make a quick dip. The added bonus is the flavored olive oil you are left with to use for stir fries or simply as garnish for salads.
Wash, dry, peel (or not) and cut in strips
Toss these with plenty of salt, then set them in a colander inside a large bowl to drain overnight in the fridge. They will shed lots of liquid
Drain eggplant, use your hands to press as much remaining liquid out of the eggplant as you can
OR
This tip was given to me by my good friend Rosalba. She takes a clean pillowcase and fills it up with the eggplant, closes the pillowcase securely with ribbon or string and places it in the washer on the spin cycle for about 10 minutes. The eggplant comes out perfect and ready for the next step
Fill a large saucepan with vinegar, bring to a boil and blanch eggplant for 2 minutes
Drain and cool on a cotton cloth for about 2 hours
Chop some garlic, parsley and basil
Place the eggplants into a large bowl, and stir in olive oil, garlic, basil and parsley. Blend well until all ingredients are well distributed
Transfer to sterile 1 pint or 1/2 pint jars
Make sure to fill the jars to the top. Wipe the rims with a clean dry cloth, and seal tightly with new lids
Let the flavors mellow for at least a week, preferably longer
un poco di tutto 