I love pickles a lot, but I willingly bow down to New York Times Cooking’s resident pickle queen, Kasia Pilat. You might recognize her name from these recipes for ogórkowa zupa (pickle soup) and chłodnik litewski (chilled beet soup), the latter of which doesn’t have pickles but does land that sour tang with kefir and sour cream. Now, just in time for summer, Kasia has given us pickle lemonade.
Pickle lemonade! If you’re dubious, I promise you, as someone who gulped down two glasses of this when she brought it into the office, it really works. The sweet, vinegary, slightly vegetal tang of the pickle brine melds easily with lemons and sugar. This is exactly the sort of thing I’d drink after a long bike ride (all those electrolytes) or mix with vodka for a fun, refreshing cocktail. But it’s perfect on its own. Pickle lemonade summer is a go.
Featured Recipe
Pickle Lemonade
Today’s specials:
Easy chicken tortas: Not enough sandwiches use refried beans (homemade or otherwise) as delicious, savory Spackle. How else are you going to keep your pan-fried, chile-seasoned chicken cutlet, lettuce, tomato and avocado from sliding out after the first bite? Kristina Felix urges us not to skimp on the pickled jalapeños here, and I’m more than happy to oblige.
Mujadara (lentils and rice with fried onions): We all know how I feel about rice, and the words “fried onions” get a similar heart-eyed reaction from me. Combined with tender lentils and plenty of cumin? Pass me a plate. My thanks to Naz Deravian.
Roasted fish and leeks vinaigrette: Perhaps you, like me, will want to make this after reading only the first line of Lidey Heuck’s recipe note: “This zippy sheet-pan dinner takes inspiration from leeks vinaigrette, a French bistro dish in which leeks are boiled until tender and dressed with a mustard vinaigrette.” (For a vegetarian take on those classic mustardy leeks, you’ll want to make Hetty Lui McKinnon’s five-star miso leeks with white beans.)
Herby pearl couscous and sugar snap-pea salad: This make-ahead Hetty number features the earthy, tangy flavors of tabbouleh, with plenty of chopped mint and parsley. Serve with your go-to rotisserie chicken — either alongside or shredded in — and that’s a pretty perfect early-summer dinner.
The post Pickle Lemonade? Pickle Lemonade! appeared first on New York Times.
