Quick Pickles

Summer is always busy.  Even though my husband and I do not have any summer vacations planned this summer, it feels as though every weekend flies by.  It is already the middle of June!  From hanging out with our friends at the beach and the park to having friends come visit us, it seems as though there is never any downtime.  I am not complaining though.  I love being outside soaking up the sun and reverting to our childhood ways, screaming and yelling as we play games.  This is a total random fact, but the city of Savannah, GA does not sell Frisbees.  I am not lying.  We spent over 2 hours going into every single gift shop in the city looking for a Frisbee to no avail.  It was horrible.  The toy sections of each gift shop had fake guns, little stuffed ponies, but absolutely no Frisbees!  Weird!

With the days long, it does make it difficult to force yourself to be in the kitchen for extended periods of time trying out new recipes.   But, it is also the time of the year where produce is abundant.  The garden is doing well.  To date, the cucumber plant has produced the most.  We had picked a few cucumbers from the plant on Friday and decided to make quick pickles this weekend.  We bought fresh dill at the farmer’s market and had a lot left over to freeze for later use.  This recipe is borrowed from Rachel Ray and is quick, easy, refreshing, and delicious!

Quick Dill Pickles From Rachael Ray:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/quick-pickles-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

1/2 cup white vinegar

2 rounded teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon mustard seed

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove cracked garlic

2 tablespoons fresh dill leaves, chopped or snipped

1 bay leaf

3 cucumbers

Instructions

Heat small saucepan over medium high heat. Add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, salt, and garlic to the pan and cook until it begins to simmer and sugar dissolves. Toss the dill, bay leaf, and sliced cucumbers together in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the simmering liquid over the cucumbers and stir to evenly coat. Allow to cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

Enjoy!

~ Savannah FitNut aka Morgan McNeal