Pickled Vegetables

A refrigerator pickle, it makes a great, nutritious snack and the liquid makes a good salad dressing. From Dr. Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley's "The Healthy Kitchen". Blanching and shocking the veggies helps them to retain crispness and crunchiness while still absorbing the liquid. They require different blanching times; jicama requires no blanching.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 20

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb carrot, peeled and cut into ovals on the diagonal (about 2 cups)
• 1⁄2 lb string bean
• 1  small head cauliflower, broken into florets (about 2 cups)
• 1⁄2  raw jicama, peeled and cut into sticks

• Dressing

• 2  cups  purified water
• 2 1⁄2 cups cider vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 3  tablespoons brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 1  tablespoon dried dill weed
• 6  garlic cloves
• 1⁄4 cup  pickling spices (or 5 bay leaves, 1 tbsp. mustard seed, 1 tbsp. dill seed, and 1 1/2 tsp. red chile flakes)

Directions

1. Fill a large pot with5 cups of water and bring to a boil. Drop in the carrots and parboil 2 minutes, then quickly scoop them with a strainer r large slotted spoon and transfer to a pot filled with ice water to shock them.
2. Drop the beans into the boiling water, cook 3 minutes, then remove and shock them. Parboil the cauliflower 1 minute, then shock it. Let all the vegetables sit in the cold water long enough to cool down, then drain the cold water, place the veggies in a large bowl with the jicama.
3. Put all dressing ingredients in a non-reactive pan set over medium heat, bring it to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour the hot dressing over the vegetables and allow them to cool to room temperature.
4. Place the cooled vegetables into a 1-gallon jar or heavy lidded (food-safe) plastic container and cover them with as much dressing as the jar will hold.Cover and refrigerate at least 2 days before eating.