Appetizer #18 - Sweet Zucchini Pickles

 The Year of Appetizers

Appetizer #18 - Sweet Zucchini Pickles

    The Olive and The Caper is a cookbook of Greek recipes, published in 2004.  It is a beautiful cookbook and I look forward to trying more of its recipes. The opening section teaches us about the many regions of Greece, and this book contains recipes from all over this beautiful country. I really enjoyed this appetizer and have now made it twice, before even writing about it. A friend of mine who is Greek, said she liked them and that's all I needed to hear. Note that you can also serve this appetizer as a salad or side dish. Also, it would be best to keep it in a glass bowl, not plastic dishes, as the turmeric in the recipe stains plastic. And if you do keep it in a plastic container, it's worth having a stained container, because it's so good. It's not difficult to make, so try this recipe!! Also, I made a smaller batch than what the recipe calls for, so look for my modifications in italics. 

    The quote by Hesiod, circa 700 B.C.E., below is included towards the front of the book. It is a wish that you have plenty of food and do not know hunger. In Roman mythology, Demeter is the goddess of agriculture, fertility, the Earth and its harvest. 

"....That hunger may hate you, and venerable Demeter, richly crowned, may love you and fill your barn with food.."

Ingredients:

4 small to medium zucchini,  with the ends trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 to 1 1/2 medium onions, quartered and thinly sliced, about 1/8-inch thick

1 tsp kosher or fine sea salt (I used pink Himalayan)

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

3/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp whole cloves

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white wine vinegar 

*If you want to make the full recipe as given in the cookbook, use 3 lbs of zucchini, 2 onions and double the rest of the ingredients*

Directions:

Place the sliced zucchini in a large colander and sprinkle the salt over it. Toss the zucchini and salt and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Mix the seasonings and add to a large pot with the white wine vinegar. Bring to a rolling boil and remove from heat. Pour the salted zucchini into the large pot, once you've removed the pot from heat. Stir to cover the zucchini mixture with the vinegar mix and let cool. When cool, transfer the mix to a large container, cover and refrigerate overnight. You can keep covered pickles refrigerated, for up to two months (but they did not last that long for me). 

Zucchini Pickles