food & foto

so, as i mentioned in my last blog – i have harvested well over 200 cucumbers this year from my garden! i wish i would’ve been weighing my harvests, to get more of an idea of yields. however, looking back through the fotos i snapped every time i harvest – it’s safe to say that number is pretty accurate. crazy, right?

anyway, on top of sharing my harvests with neighbors, and consuming a cucumber a day, i also enjoy making pickles and relish with my cucumbers! that’s why i specifically grow the pickling cucumbers. that, and i just think they taste better.

i will share my pickle recipe soon, but for now i want to share this super yummy relish recipe that a good friend of mine passed along to me last year. i love it because it’s very simple and does not have added sugar. the only sweetener is honey and i think it is so well-balanced in flavour. i love add my relish to egg salad or tuna salad. it’s also just good right out of the jar!

homemade pickle relish recipe : 

• 1.5 pounds {pickling} cucumbers, finely diced {mine was homegrown}
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1.5 cup distilled white vinegar
• 6 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill {mine was homegrown! 🙂}
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp kosher salt {i used himalayan pink salt}
• 1 tsp celery ceeds
• 1.5 cornstarch

directions : 

• in large saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch. simmer over medium-high head until vegetables are tender – about 8-10 minutes.
• in small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2-3 tbsp of the cooking liquid until smooth. add to pan and let cook another 3-5 minutes. cool.
• use canning method to preserve, or store in airtight container, chilled, up to 1 month. also freezes well.

i made a lot more than what is pictured – this jar i gave to my neighbours. 🙂

i also tasted mine before adding the cornstarch. if i needed to increase any of the ingredients, i did. i think i added a little extra honey and vinegar to mine because i had a little more than 1.5 pounds of cucumbers. the key is to start with small amounts… you can always add more. i love the colour it turns out – that’s largely due to the turmeric.

i hope you enjoy this recipe and please do let me know if you ever try it out!

thanks for reading! 🙂

Tags: audrey michelle, blogging, cooking, DIY, eat the rainbow, eating, food, food blogs, food photography, food stories, foodography, gardening, grow your own, grow your own food, healthy eating, homegrown, in the kitchen, natural, organic, photography, pickles, recipes, relish