Here I've pickled peppers, onions, and fennel, and I've been tucking the mix into sandwiches, spreading it atop melty cheese toasts, and, as intended, sprinkling it over just-baked pizza. I imagine it would be fabulous with grilled bratwurst or in a Philly cheesesteak-style sandwich. // alexandracooks.com

A few weeks ago at nearby Spoon and Whisk, I spent the evening watching Chef Ben churn out calzones, stromboli, Chicago-style deep-dish pies, and, my favorite, ballooned and blistered Neapolitan pizzas.

Of all the delicious bites I tasted that evening, the very last may have been my favorite, a thin-crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and sausage. This may sound underwhelming on its own, and it may have been had Chef Ben not sprinkled the blazing hot pizza with finely shaved pickled vegetables, a sharp mix that instantly brightened an otherwise ordinary combination. Magic.

When asked for the recipe, Chef Ben said: “Sorry, trade secret.”

Not to worry. The following day, I gathered all the vegetables languishing in my fridge and took a stab at the pickle using a recipe that has yet to fail me: equal parts water and vinegar plus a little sugar and salt. It comes from David Lebovitz’s blog, and I’ve used it successfully with beets, turnips, carrots, and radishes.

It takes no time: heat water and vinegar until sugar and salt dissolve, then pour over vegetables. That’s it. It doubles, triples, and halves well, so you can adjust the recipe easily to whatever amount of vegetables you have on hand.

Here I’ve pickled thinly sliced peppers, onions, and fennel, and I’ve been tucking the mix into sandwiches, spreading it atop melty cheese toasts, and, as intended, sprinkling it over just-baked pizza. I imagine it would be fabulous with grilled bratwurst or in a Philly cheesesteak-style sandwich.


Here I've pickled peppers, onions, and fennel, and I've been tucking the mix into sandwiches, spreading it atop melty cheese toasts, and, as intended, sprinkling it over just-baked pizza. I imagine it would be fabulous with grilled bratwurst or in a Philly cheesesteak-style sandwich. // alexandracooks.com

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Simple Pickled Peppers, Onions and Fennel

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Description

This is a very simple recipe and use it as a guide: you can use more or less fennel, peppers, onion, etc. I have used the pickling liquid recipe, which I adapted from this pickled radish recipe from David Lebovitz, for a number of vegetables including carrots, turnips, and beets. It’s simple and good. I never process the jars, but the vegetables seem to keep indefinitely in the fridge.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 to 3 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1 to 2 bulbs fennel, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 hot chili pepper, thinly sliced on the bias, optional

Instructions

  1. In a large non-reactive saucepan, bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, until the sugar and salt are dissolved.
  2. Meanwhile, place the sliced peppers, fennel, onion, garlic, and chili peppers in a large bowl. Pour the pickling liquid over top. Press with a spatula to submerge.
  3. Transfer the vegetables and liquid to storage containers. I love these deli containers, but glass canning jars are nice, too. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. Store for weeks if not longer.