Zuni Café Zucchini Pickles Food

ZUNI CAFé'S ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• With a mandolin, cut zucchini lengthwise (or crosswise, if you prefer) in 1/16-inch slices. Cut onion crosswise the same thickness.
• Place zucchini and onion in a low wide bowl, toss with salt and cover with ice water. Add a few ice cubes. Leave for 1 hour, until faintly salty and slightly softened when tasted. Drain, discard ice and dry vegetables thoroughly between kitchen towels. Rinse and dry bowl.
• Make the brine: Combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds and turmeric in a nonreactive saucepan, and simmer over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside until just warm to the touch.
• Return zucchini to the bowl and pour cooled brine over, then stir to distribute spices.
• Transfer mixture and brine to pint jars and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

ZUNI CAFé ZUCCHINI PICKLE STRIPS

Steps:

• Wash and trim the zucchini. Slice them lengthwise into 1/16-inch-thick slices on a mandoline. Slice the onion very thinly as well. Combine the zucchini and onion in a large shallow glass or ceramic dish. Sprinkle the salt evenly over top and gently toss to distribute. Add several ice cubes and cold water to cover. Stir to dissolve the salt.
• Let the zucchini and onion soak in the salty brine. After about 1 hour, the zucchini strips should be slightly softened. Drain and pat dry.
• Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric in a small saucepan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Set aside until just warm to the touch. (If the brine is too hot, it will cook the vegetables and make the pickles soft instead of crisp)
• Transfer the zucchini and onion slices to three one-pint glass jars and pour over the cooled brine. Seal tightly and refrigerate for at least a day before serving to allow the flavors to mellow and permeate the zucchini. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

ZUNI CAFé'S HAMBURGER

Steps:

• Cut meat into 1-inch chunks or strips. Sprinkle with salt, tossing to coat well, and refrigerate, covered, for about 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Assemble your meat grinder, using the grinder plate with 3/16-inch holes. Chill the grinder in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes or refrigerate for several hours. With motor set to medium speed, drop cold meat into grinding tube and let the machine pull pieces through (resist forcing the meat through with pushing tool) into a chilled bowl. Grind the meat twice. (You may also hand-chop the meat in small batches or use a food processor with a very sharp blade, but the patties will be a bit more fragile.)
• Working quickly, form 6-ounce patties by hand, first making spheres, then flattening them to a 3/4-inch thickness. Press patties slightly thinner in the middle. (This ensures an even thickness in the finished burgers.) Keep patties refrigerated until ready to cook.
• If grilling, prepare your coals. Grill patties over medium-hot coals, flipping them three times to make sure they don't char. A cold 6-ounce patty will take about 9 minutes for a rosy medium-rare. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes off the heat, as you would a roast, before serving. If using a preheated cast-iron pan over medium heat, cook burgers for about 10 minutes, also flipping three times, plus resting.
• To serve, warm a piece of focaccia for each burger and split the bread horizontally. Smear the bottom half with a dab of aioli, the add lettuce leaves and the cooked burger. Top with the other half of the focaccia. Serve with zucchini pickles and red onion pickles.

JUDY'S ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Combine zucchini and onion in a large shallow bowl. Add salt; toss to combine. Add a few ice cubes and enough cold water to cover, stirring until salt dissolves. Let stand, at room temperature, until zucchini are slightly salty and softened, about 1 hour.
• Drain, removing any remaining ice cubes. Dry thoroughly between two towels, or spin, a few handfuls at a time, in a salad spinner (excess water will thin the flavor and spoil the pickle). Rinse and dry the bowl. Return the zucchini and onion to the dry bowl.
• In a saucepan, combine vinegar, sugar, dry mustard, mustard seeds, and turmeric, over medium heat; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and let stand until just warm to the touch.
• Pour the cooled brine over the zucchin-and-onion mixture, stirring to combine. Transfer to sterilized jars. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days before serving. Will keep for about 3 months, refrigerated, in an airtight container.

ZUNI CAFé'S RED ONION PICKLES

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice berries, chile, star anise, bay leaves and peppercorns in a 4-quart (or larger) nonreactive pot at least 10 inches in diameter. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes. Cover pot, turn off heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
• Peel the onions, trim ends and slice crosswise into 3/8-inch thick slices. Separate into rings, discarding any green centers or leathery outer rings.
• Bring the brine back to a boil. Add onions and turn off heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to submerge onions. Leave to steep, covered, until mixture cools.
• Transfer onions and brine to pint jars and refrigerate for at least a day before serving.

ZUNI HAMBURGERS

Steps:

• Cut meat into 1-inch strips, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with salt, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 18 to 24 hours.
• Assemble a meat grinder with a 3/16-inch die and a sharp knife. Refrigerate grinder until thoroughly chilled (this will ensure proper texture and flavor).
• Pass meat through the grinder twice. On the first pass, pay special attention that the meat is emerging cleanly and evenly. If it isn't, turn the grinder off immediately, and remove and clean the blade and knife. Reinstall and finish grinding the meat. As an alternative to grinding the meat, you can finely chop it by hand or in a food processor with a very sharp blade, however, this will result in a more fragile burger.
• Working quickly, divide beef into four portions, and form into 3/4-inch-thick patties. Press patties a bit thinner in the center; the meat shrinks as it cooks and the patties will emerge an even thickness only if they start out thinner in the center. The patties may be made ahead up to this point and refrigerated, loosely covered, up to 12 hours ahead.
• To cook the hamburgers on the stovetop: Choose a skillet (preferably cast-iron) not much larger than will hold the patties. Heat the pan over medium heat until the meat sizzles on contact. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook, flipping patties twice, 4 minutes more for medium-rare. Remove from heat, and let rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.
• Serve on foccacia with aioli and lettuce; serve pickles on the side.

ZESTY ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• In a large stainless steel bowl layer the first 3 ingredients sprinkle all the salt on the veggies. Top with cold water and set aside for 2-3 hours.
• Drain into a colander and rinse well under running cold water.Drain well.
• In a large stainless steel pot add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil stirring to dissolve sugar. Gentle boil for 10 minutes. Cover and let infuse for 1 hour.
• Prep your jars I used 6 - 8 ounce jars. And prepare the water bath.
• Bring the infused vinegar to a boil.
• Add the drained veggies bring to a boil and for 5 minutes.
• Pack into jars leaving 1/2 head space.
• Remove air bubbles and ladle the hot liquid to leave 1/2 inch head space.
• Wipe rims clean and top with lids and bands. screw to finger tip tight.
• Place jars in boiling water bath with at least 1 inch covering the jars.
• Bring back to a boil , cover and boil for 15 minutes.
• Turn of flame remove lid and rest for 5 minutes.
• Remove jars without tipping and place in a draft free place till cool.
• Remove bands and store in a cool dark place.

ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• In a wide saucepan combine the water, vinegar, salt, mustard seed, and peppercorns.
• Bring to a gentle bubble and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine the zucchini, onion, garlic and red bell pepper in a large bowl and toss to combine.
• Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables. Scatter on the dill leaves and stir to mix. Cover the bowl tightly and allow to stand at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled and drain off the liquid to serve.

QUICK ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• In bowl, toss zucchini with salt ; let stand for 15 minutes.
• Drain and squeeze out liquid.
• Add vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and hot pepper flakes. Toss to combine.

ZUCCHINI PICKLES

Steps:

• Thinly slice zucchini.
• Quarter onions and thinly slice.
• In large bowl, add enough water to cover zucchini and onions.
• Stir in pickling salt.
• Cover with ice for crisper vegetables.
• Let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
• Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly.
• In large pot combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, celery salt and tumeric.
• Let stand 2 hours.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
• Pack vegetables and liquid into clean, hot pint jars.
• Wipe rims. Tighten lids.
• Process in boiling water bath 15 minutes (start timing when water boils). Makes 6 pints.