Late summer vegetable harvest, pickled

My vegetable crop was relatively small this year. One reason was out of my control; July and August were tremendously foggy this year. But I didn’t amend the soil or set up the drip irrigation like I did the past two years, and that certainly made a difference.

But the crop made up in flavor what it lacked in bounty, the tiny radishes and carrots, green beans, and onion. For some reason I decided to pickle all of it using Monica Bhide’s recipe for pickled red onions. They turned into an excellent condiment for the week. And they’re pretty, too.

Recipe:

Combine 1-1/2 cups hot water with 1 cup white vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a glass bow. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve, then add 1 thinly sliced red onion 2 serrano chilis halved lengthwise, and 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Stir, cover, and chill overnight. Use slotted spoon to transfer to plate. Keep chilled; can be made 1 week ahead of time.