Israeli Pickles

Makes 6 cups

Pickles are a traditional way to preserve the harvest, especially important for Israeli pioneers, who could not rely on imported food for their tables. Not surprisingly then, pickles fit incredibly well into the Israeli preference for eating tons of salatim, mezze (an array of appetizers), and small plates. Pickles refresh your palate and whet your appetite for the next bite. At Zahav, our fried cauliflower mezze is so popular that we go through nearly 250 heads a week. This leaves us with an abundance of cauliflower hearts (what’s left over after you remove the florets). Instead of trashing them, which most people do, we thought like an Israeli: “We can pickle that!”

Cauliflower hearts, along with celery and carrots, are the basis of the pickle plate on every table at Zahav. And there are a million vegetables that take well to this treatment. We flavor the pickles with turmeric and a little schug, for a zesty, absolutely addictive (and inexpensive) bite. Make these pickles as part of a salatim spread or as a briny counterpoint to glistening kebabs straight off the grill.

• 4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
• ½ head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 2 cups)
• 2 cups white vinegar
• ¼ cup kosher salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1 tablespoon schug (see sidebar)

● Arrange the celery, cauliflower, and carrots in a deep baking dish.

● Combine 1 cup water, the vinegar, salt, and sugar in a saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Continue cooking, stirring, until the salt and sugar are dissolved, about 1 minute. Stir in the turmeric and schug. Pour the liquid over the vegetables and let cool.

● Transfer the cooled vegetables in their brine to containers, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 days before serving. They’ll keep for another several days refrigerated in their brine.