These are probably better pickled during the summer months, when okra are actually in season, but making these garlicy spears now is fine if you’re craving a taste of summer. Just make sure to use fresh, not frozen okra. They’re excellent alongside sandwiches or as a cocktail garnish. Oh, and straight out of the jar works too.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds okra
4 garlic cloves
2 cups cider vinegar
1 3/4 cups water
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons mustard seeds
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Divide okra and garlic evenly among 2 (2-pint) jars.

2. Combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Carefully pour vinegar mixture into jars, leaving about 1/4 inch at top. Seal jars; refrigerate at least 3 days and up to 1 month before serving.

This recipe is a simple take on seasonal pickled vegetables, and is ready in just one day. Feel free to substitute the vegetables with whatever is readily available in the markets. These are, after all, seasonal.

Ingredients:

4 cups distilled white vinegar
2 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
12 fresh thyme sprigs
6 Turkish bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
1 rosemary sprig
3 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into two-inch pieces
12 radishes, trimmed and halved
15 purple pearl onions, peeled
1/4 pound green beans
1 head cauliflower, thickly sliced

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve. Add thyme, bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, and rosemary; stir to blend.

2. Add all vegetables to a large, sterilized canning jar. Add vinegar mixture until vegetables are submerged. Cover with plastic wrap and lid and chill at least one day and up to one week.

Until last year. I grew up with dual cultural Thanksgivings: baghali polo instead of stuffing alongside the turkey, mashed potatoes and tahdeeg. What better way to make an Iranian-American enjoy cranberry sauce than to throw some persimmons in there? We love our persimmons and now, I love my cranberry sauce too. And since Thanksgiving isn’t too far off, I’ve started craving this (ridiculously easy) recipe again. I adapted it from an old issue of Gourmet to suit my own tastes: less sugar, more persimmons and cranberries, and cinnamon instead of star anise to modify the original recipe.

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh cranberries
1/4 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup sugar
4 Fuyu persimmons, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1. Bring cranberries, wine, water, cinnamon, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan, stirring occasionally, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Fold in persimmons.

2. Transfer to a bowl and serve at room temperature. Stir gently before serving.

For a quick cocktail, add a few spoons to some vodka or rum with a splash of club soda. I’m planning on making a seasonal cranberry-orange syrup for Thanksgiving cocktails.

Ingredients:

1 handful fresh mint
zest of two limes, peeled in 1/2 inch-thick strips
2 bags of pomegranate green tea
1 tablespoon honey
2 cups water
1 cup sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, bring one cup of sugar and one cup of water just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add mint and lime zest, cover, and turn off heat, letting the mixture steep for an hour. Remove lid and let cool, then pour into a jar and refrigerate.

2. Repeat the process of dissolving the remaining cup of water and sugar over heat, and steep with the tea and honey for a hour. Let cool, and pour into another jar and refrigerate.

but i have been cooking:

chilled udon noodle salad

wakame and turkey potstickers

tofu-stuffed shiitake mushrooms

soy-simmered soybeans with vegetables

picked red radishes

chicken donburi

my weekend involved vietamese egg noodle soup, a spike lee movie, a number of bookstores, a whole lot of traffic, and a silly attempt at wardrobe modifications. i relished it all. after all, its not every week that i get to see the boy four days in a row.

Here’s the recipe for the radish pickles:

10-15 red radishes, trimmed
1 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 one-inch piece kombu (kelp) seaweed

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and kombu in a small saucepan and let the kombu soak for at least 20 minutes. Place the pan over low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Slowly bring to just below a boil and cook until the sugar and salt have completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let the sauce cool in the pan.

2. In the meantime, slice each radish into quarters. Place the radish pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon salt. Allow the radishes to sit undisturbed for about five minutes. Gently toss and squeeze to wilt the radishes. Pour off any accumulated liquid and rinse the wilted radishes briefly under cold water to remove excess salt. Squeeze again.

3. Place the radishes in a glass jar and pour the cooled sauce over them, setting the kombu piece on top. Cover with plastic wrap and a tight-fitting lid. Let the radishes stand at least 30 minutes at room temperature and up to one day. After one day, refrigerate the radishes. The radishes will keep in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator for several weeks.