Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems #FoodieExtravaganza #InternationalPicklesWeek

Foodie Extravaganza is where we celebrate obscure food holidays or cook and bake together with the same ingredient or theme each month.

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board!

This month I am hosting this month's #FoodieExtravaganza. I wrote: "International Pickles Week is the third week in May. Let's share your favorite recipes for making pickles, using pickles, etc. Lacto-fermented. Quick-pickled. It's all fair game!" Here's the list of our pickled creations...

• Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Making Miracles
• Fried Chicken Sandwich with a Spicy Bread and Butter Pickle Coleslaw by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Hot Pepper Vinegar by Palatable Pastime
• Indian Raw Papaya Pickle by Sara's Tasty Buds
• Japanese Pickled Ginger by Caroline's Cooking
• Lime & Beer Pickled Red Onions by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Middle Eastern Pickled Turnips by Pandemonium Noshery
• Pickled Pork Tongue by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pickled Rainbow Chard Stems by Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Pickled Star Gooseberry by Sneha's Recipe 
• Spicy Pickled Grape Tomatoes by Food Lust People Love

In the Garden

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you'll know that my younger son created a garden for his IBMYP Personal Project this year. And the timing has been perfect for giving us greens during this shelter-in-place ordeal; I can stretch out store visits because I have fresh greens that he and Jake are harvesting daily.

One day they came in with a bowl full of greens - red chard, yellow chard, beet greens. I was thrilled. I used the greens in a quick sauté and decided to to pickle the stems.

In the Jar

Ingredients makes 1 cup

• about 1 cup chopped chard stems (any color, I used rainbow chard)
• 2 t salt, divided
• 1/2 t dill seeds
• 1/2 t fennel seeds
• 1/2 t caraway seeds
• 1 t black peppercorns
• ¼ C apple cider vinegar
• ¼ C rice vinegar
• 3 T raw cane sugar
• 1 sprig fresh thyme, destemmed

Procedure

Rinse and chop your chard stems into 1-1/2 lengths. Place them in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle them with 1 t salt. Toss to coat and set aside. Place the seeds and peppercorns in the bottom of clean mason jar. Set aside.

Place the vinegars, sugar, and 1 t salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Swirl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and let the brine cool.

Rinse and drain the chopped stems and place them in a jar, cover them with the brine and refrigerate overnight before eating them. I used them as a flavor foil to a creamy lobster roll. I use them chopped in both tuna salad and egg salad. Unfortunately, as they pickle, they lose their gorgeous rainbow color, but they are still delicious.