Pickle Plate Recipe

Prepare cucumbers

Wash cucumbers and trim the ends. Slice into 1/4-inch rounds or half-moons depending on preference. Place in a clean quart jar or nonreactive container large enough to fit ingredients.

Make the brine: dissolve 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon sugar into 480 ml (about 2 cups) filtered water. Stir until fully dissolved.

Add aromatics: tuck 2 smashed garlic cloves, 4 dill sprigs, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns and 1 bay leaf into the jar with the cucumber slices.

Pour brine over cucumbers so they’re fully submerged. Use a small weight (a clean smaller jar or a fermentation weight) to keep vegetables under brine to reduce surface mold risk.

Short ferment: let sit at cool room temperature (18–22°C) for 24–48 hours for a bright lacto-style tang. Taste after 24 hours; when pleasantly tangy, refrigerate to slow fermentation. Store refrigerated up to 3 weeks.

Slice and heat pickling liquid

Thinly slice the red onion and place in a heatproof jar or bowl. In a small saucepan, combine 120 ml white vinegar, 120 ml water, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Heat just until sugar and salt dissolve and the liquid is warm — do not need to boil.

Pour the warm liquid over the sliced onions, pressing them down so they’re submerged. Let cool to room temperature (about 20–30 minutes), then cover and refrigerate.

They’ll be ready to eat in 30 minutes but flavor improves after 2 hours. Keep refrigerated up to 2 weeks.

Prepare carrots and brine

Peel and cut carrots into uniform sticks about 3–4 inches long and 1/2 inch thick. Place 3 cups carrot sticks into a clean pint jar or fermentation vessel along with 1 sliced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon thin matchstick ginger, and 1 teaspoon whole coriander seeds.

Make the brine by dissolving 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt into 360 ml filtered water. Optional: stir in 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar to brighten flavor.

Pour brine over carrots so they are fully submerged. Use a weight to keep carrots under the brine. Cover with an airlock lid or loosely with a lid/towel to allow gases to escape.

Ferment at room temperature (18–22°C) for 3–5 days for a crisp, mildly tangy carrot. Check daily for bubbles and taste after day 3. When you like the flavor, transfer to refrigerator to slow fermentation. Keep refrigerated up to 4 weeks.

Drain each pickle (reserve a tablespoon or two of its brine if you like for dressings). Arrange a small sampler plate with 3–4 seasonal vegetables: the quick brined cucumbers, a pile of pickled red onions, and fermented carrot sticks. If you have other seasonal items (radishes, beets, green beans), prepare similarly or substitute using the same brine/quick-pickle techniques.

Garnish lightly with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or dill and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for texture and aroma. Serve chilled or at cool room temperature as part of a vegan appetizer plate.