| In the Green Kitchen | Clarkson Potter, 2010 | 4 servings
David makes these pickles to be enjoyed right after seasoning, while they are still vibrant and crunchy.—Alice Waters
LC Note: The David that Ms. Waters is referring to is, of course, David Chang of Momofuku fame. His quick riff on pickles imparts all the taste characteristics of proper pickles that you put up in the fall, yet retains the just-harvested flavor of fresh vegetables.
Active time: 5 minutes | Total time: 15 minutes.
Salt and Sugar Pickles Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 very large radishes
- 2 thin daikon radishes
- 2 thin-skinned cucumbers with few seeds
- 2 pounds seedless watermelon
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Directions
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1. Arrange the vegetables and fruit in separate bowls. There should be about 1 1/2 cups of each kind. Halve the radishes and slice them into thin wedges. Cut the daikon radishes crosswise into slices about 1/8 inch thick. Cut the cucumbers crosswise into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the rind of the watermelon and cut the fruit into slices 1/8-inch thick and then into 2-inch wedges.
2. In a small bowl, combine the salt and sugar. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture over each vegetable and the watermelon and toss. Let the pickles stand for 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Arrange the vegetables in separate piles on a platter and serve immediately.
- Pickled Green Tomatoes from White on Rice Couple
- Sunchoke Pickles–Pickled Jerusalem Artichokes from Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook
- Pickled Spring Vegetables With Mustard-Seed Vinaigrette from Leite’s Culinaria
- Pickled Ramps from Leite’s Culinaria
Salt and sugar pickles recipe © 2010 Alice Waters. Photo © 2010 Christopher Hirsheimer. All rights reserved.
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[Brenda Carleton] What an interesting concept! Making lightning-speed pickles with just a touch of sugar and salt. All you do is cut up vegetables–daikon, radishes, cucumber, as well as watermelon rind–and sprinkle on some salt and sugar and let the vegetables sit for a few minutes. Voila! Sort-of pickles! The salt, of course, draws out the moisture and creates some liquid in which the sugar mixes with the salt. The instructions said to allow the pickles to sit for five to 10 minutes, and I found that I liked them best at just over 10 minutes, when everything melded together. A nifty idea. The little dishes of pickles looked cute, too. This would be cool to serve with a grilled or barbecued meal with friends. Wonder what a few pepper flakes would do? Too late; the pickles are all gone.