Idle Hands are the Devil's Workshop?

Whenever I have spare time in our soul food kitchen — which does happen from time to time — my mind goes to pickles. There’s a practical side to this of course, one of the ways in which we can stock in perishables for the long haul. It’s also a nice way to expand our repertoire of extras I like to surprise our guests with. And, depending on what I’m preserving, I t can add a special layer to taste profiles.

Of course, over time, the pickling has gotten a bit out of hand. Irit half jokingly says that my pickling jars have taken over the kitchen. As a look around our kitchen today, I can see her point. There’s the handful of confits and preserves I always have on hand: shallot, garlic, tomato, jalapeno, habanero, thai chili peppers, preserved lemons. My cooking condiments. In addition, I can see lined up in front of me on one shelf of the refrigerator: sauerkraut (red version and white/green version), bread-and-butter pickles, red onions pickled in honey and habaneros, jerusalem artichokes is a dense mustard sauce, chow-chow pickles, pickled okra, and green beans (pictured here). And those are just the ones I can spot when I open the fridge. I’m not even going to itemize what’s happening back on rows two and three.

My son, every once in a while, simply suggests that we close down our extensive menu offerings and simply sell pickles. His is a savvier business mind than mine. It’s probably something I should consider.

StilI, have to admit I’m attached to this process of building dishes taste layer by taste layer, often drawing on elements that I had to plan on plenty of weeks in advance. Doing something today that won’t be enjoyed fully into some uncertain time in the future. Old school, right? I’m okay with that.