Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Pickling Season

The other day, Julia and I went over to our friend Kay's kitchen to watch the local Queen of Pickles work her magic. Kay is an amazing cook, baker, gardener and preserver. Unfortunately it was so dark that day that I didn't get any good photos. We're going to try again soon when I have more cukes coming out of the garden and hopefully it will be a sunny day. That day we made a cucumber relish because it is Julia's favorite thing to put on a hamburg. Here's a shot from my iPhone which did turn out okay. I love all the greens! The relish has to sit for two weeks and it is all I can do to not open a jar!


A couple months ago, I did a photo shoot for a local company's website. Real Pickles is owned by our friends Addie Rose Holland and Dan Rosenberg. They produce lacto-fermented pickles, sauerkraut, ginger carrots, Asian style cabbabage,  beets, and many more healthy products which are available throughout the Northeast in food coops and grocery stores (including the mammoth Whole Foods). All of the raw foods are grown on organic farms here in the Pioneer Valley. The photos I did for them can be found on the Recipe Page on their website here


This is my favorite shot of the day - The Peanut Noodle shot featuring their tangy Ginger Carrots. I love how the colors came together - the Ginger Carrots, the turquoise stoneware bowl, the ikat tablecloth, and the faded out chair in the background. 

 
Here's a close-up showing the Ginger Carrots which add such a great touch to Peanut Noodles. You can find this recipe here on the Real Pickles website. Looks good for dinner tonight! I love peanut noodles, don't you?


If you want to find out more about lacto-fermented foods, read about it on the Real Pickles website. I have also found a vinegar-free lacto-fermented dill pickle recipe I may try if my cucumber harvest goes nutty.  It is from The Affairs of Living blog. Lots of really great recipes. There are amazing health benefits to this kind of food which are such a plus considering they are super tasty too!

Thank you to all of you who nominated my blog for the Country Living Blogger Awards. I'll keep you posted if I hear back from them.

6 comments:

India said...

I love the photos you did for Addie and Dan, and I continue to be charmed by this connection we share that spans my niece and my knitting, about both of which I am passionate!

Dianne@sheepdreams said...

Your photos are beautiful. Love those bright, intense colors with the hazy objects in the background. Think I'll put the peanut noodles on the menu for later this week. Do you suppose your "Queen of Pickles" would part with her cucumber relish recipe?

Anonymous said...

The food looks delicious!

Elaine said...

"In your spare time" you should be a professional food stylist and photographer. The pictures are wonderful.

Rooibos said...

Checked out the website for the lacto pickles. Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

I know this is an older post, but I've been reading through for a few days and saw the Real Pickles and had to comment. I've been eating those pickles for three months now -- so much easier than making my own which never seem to turn out. It's awesome that you're friends with the owners. Plus there's learning that you're in western Massachusetts while I'm in the eastern half! And realizing that your book Color by Kristin inspired me to get into Fair Isle knitting this summer! While I'm researching info for my own sheep farm!

My brain does not seem to want to compute the awesome going on right now. All I can say is thanks for the lovely post, and you've found a reader in me.

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