Cookies Preferences
These are so entwined with my childhood in Moscow. I'll never forget the dramatic tall thin jars full of them on the berioska shelves. They are the perfect accompaniment to zakuski, which is a bit like tapas or mezze in its assortment of small plates on a table. These potent pickles are the perfect accompaniment to vodka shot and very dark black bread with some butter and smoked fish. More than anything though, they're a wonderful way to extend the season of your garlic scapes as in nature it's fleeting and once gone you can't get them back for another year. I have taken this recipe from the lovely book, Kachka, by Bonnie Frumkin Morales who has a restaurant of the same name in Portland Oregon. What I love about it is that it's not really Russian food...it's food from the era (the 1980s) that I actually lived in the USSR and reflects the grander confluence of cultures and flavors and recipes that made up that vast country back then. It's truly interesting and the photography makes me terrifically nostalgic. I'd like to meet Bonnie one day!
1/2 pound garlic scapes, trimmed of their woody ends and so they fit in your jar
2 cups water
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 dry chillis
In a pan wide enough to hold your garlic scapes, combine the water, vinegars, wine, sugar, salt, and chillis. Let this mixture come to a boil and then place the garlic scapes in it. Let this bubble away on moderate heat for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and allow it all to cool. Once cooled, place the garlic scapes in a clean jar and pour over the cooking liquid. Cover the jar and place in fridge. The garlic scapes will be ready to eat 24 hours later.
