Artisan Bread

I bought a new bread book entitled Artisan Baking by Maggie Glezer.  I love this book.  It's a little more work than the bread from 5 minutes a day but really tasty.  I've made some focaccia and a boule so far, and have started my sourdough starter without yeast, thank you very much, with her help.  A great buy.

Fresh - Pickled Vegetables / Assignment # 2

I really enjoy pickles, so when I saw this I thought I would give it a try.  This is assignment # 2 for Seasonal Table.  Please read the comments to see what other people thought.

1 1/2 c white wine vinegar
1 3/4 c water
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
Half a dried cayenne pepper or a pinch of dried chile flakes
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
2 whole cloves
1 garlic clove peeled and cut in half
A big pinch of salt

Bring the brine to a boil in a non-reactive sauce pan.  Add the veges that you would like to pickle into the brine and cook until they are done but still crunchy.

* I actually decided to pickle some green beans and squash.  I steamed the green beans for 2 min and placed them in an ice bath for 2 min.  I prepped the squash by placing it in a colander with some salt for 1 hour then added it to the jar. *