Trend Wallpapers And Desktop Background: 2007-07-01

It's been a week of pickling 'round these parts. We started with mushrooms (much to the dismay of nearly everyone who lives with me), moved on to dilly beans and finished up with a rousing session of spiced lemons. I think it can be fairly said that I am feeling the warm glow of accomplishment. Tempered, as always, by the feelings that so much more needs to be done, but still.

Marinated mushrooms make a great addition to a relish tray, could stand alone as a salad - a scoop nestled in perhaps a raddicchio cup or on the overlapped leaves of endive - and are also fabulous piled on a sandwich. They make a great gift for those in your life who appreciate mushrooms (if you've chosen compatriots wisely, this will be almost everyone you know - alas I have chosen most unwisely) and it's with this in mind that I'm already eyeing up the three and a half pints and thinking, "not enough." But pickled mushrooms are among the easier things to can and, since I live quite close to the mushroom capital of the world (or something) it's a simple matter to pick up more for the process.

Start with four pounds of mushrooms. You can use your basic button variety or get fancier with crimini or something else - or a combination - and leave them whole, if you'd like. This time around I used regular old button mushrooms because 1) their flavor is fine for my purposes and 2) they're not nearly as expensive as other types. I also sliced mine for more flexibility - it's hard to put a whole mushroom on a sandwich, after all.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of a deep pot (not to smoking) and add four pounds of mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low. Stir the mushrooms frequently to make sure they're heated evenly. While they're heating, dice three or four large cloves of garlic (more if you like, but try not to go for less) and three shallots.* Once the mushrooms begin to give off a bit of liquid, add the garlic and shallots along with 3/4 cup of basalmic vinegar (the cheapie stuff available in most groceries is fine) and 1/4 cup of plain old white vinegar. Stir well and continue to heat on a slow burner until the mushrooms are soft - but not mushy! Remove from heat and transfer to sterilized jars (I usually use half-pints), distributing cooking liquid evenly, seal and process in a boiling hot water bath for 15 minutes). Four pounds of sliced mushrooms results in - more or less - four pints of finished product. Allow the jars to sit for six weeks or so before opening.

And that's that. You can add dried herbs, if you like - thyme is nice, and so is marjoram. Quite simple, fast and super delicious. I'm definitely going to have to make more.

* Although shallots can generally be found year 'round in American supermarkets like most things they're better in their season, which is early- to mid-summer on the northeast. In her incomperable Fancy Pantry Helen Witty suggests trimming and peeling shallots when they're available in season and freezing the cloves (bulbs?) in a quart canning jar, taking them out as needed through the year. Because I believe everything that Mrs. Witty tells me I do exactly this and have found it to be an excellent solution to the shallot-availability problem. So if you live somewhere where mushrooms are better found in fall but you have shallots now, then get the shallots and freeze them so they'll be ready when you are.

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