Quick Pickles

Back in my hardcore macrobiotic days, these quick pickles were a daily part of my diet. In the years since I loosened the reins on my yin and yang, I continued to crave these every so often when the weather is hot or I'm feeling a little hungover. This easy recipe is modified from several macro cookbooks and years of experimenting. First, find a nice selection of root and/or vine veggies such as cucumber, red radish, summer squash, red bell pepper, or red onion. For this batch I combined daikon, carrot, and bitter melon. Chop them into thin rounds or half-moons- so they'll lie flat when being pressed. Put everything in a large bowl and toss with a few tablespoons of sea salt. Next put a smaller size bowl on top of the whole mix and weight down. I keep a few 10lb. weights in the kitchen, but I've been known to pile a teetering tower of cookbooks and canned goods on top as well. (There are, of course, actual inexpensive pickle presses, but it makes me feel a little butch to have weights in the kitchen, ok?) So after about 45 minutes to an hour, the salt will have pulled much of the water from the veggies, but they'll still be nice and crispy. I like to pour off the water and give them a decent rinse in the colander (some recipes call for just pouring the water off, but not rinsing, which I find to be a bit salty). Squeeze out the excess water, a handful at a time, and return to bowl. Finally, toss them with a little rice vinegar- for a more traditional macro version- otherwise I like to also add a little brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and chili sauce (much to Michio's dismay, I'm sure!). Did I mention that these are also great digestives? Num on!