Nana's Turshi Pickles
Is there a song you’ve loved forever, a book you’ve read a million times, a dish that you’ve enjoyed from the day you were born? Its influence is so deep within your consciousness and experience that it is able to mold to whatever your POV is at the time.
I have this with my grandmother’s Turshi pickles. Growing up they were a standard of her Shabbat meals and always were on her Holiday table, hell, they were there whenever a meal was served no matter how grand, or how simple. The Turshi carrots and cauliflower were bright marigold yellow from the turmeric. Initially the flavor was rather bracing for my 7-8-year-old tongue, but I do remember enjoying the inherent sweetness of the carrot after the vinegar and salt receded. And I loved its crunchy bite.
Mid-January I went to LA to see family, and that didn’t work out tas expected, but I did get to have a really noteworthy avocado toast with my cousin, Sharon. Sharon is the keeper of our Iraqi Grandmother’s recipes, which made her the precisely right person to be enjoying this Pickled Carrot-topped Avocado Toast with.
I remarked how the bright garnish reminded me of Nana’s Turshi PIckles, and asked her for the recipe she directed me to her Sephardic Spice Girls Instagram page and there it was an ancient family recipe in plain view (with great pictures).
I got home and set upon this pickling project which turned out to be pretty simple. I let it sit for the prescribed three days, bought a hardy avocado, made sure I had my favorite sliced sourdough on hand, and waited.
After yoga on Sunday, I decanted a few Turshi carrots, sliced them paper-thin with a peeler, and then lay them atop a luxuriously soft and smooth avocado layer. It was a perfectly mindful post-yoga brunch bite with a nice dash of sentimentality.
Nana’s Turshi Pickles
First the pickling juice:
1 1/2 cups of water
2 cups white vinegar (also called Distilled Vinegar)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tablespoon curry powder
1-2 tablespoon sugar - I have a sweet tooth so I used 2 Tbsp. brown sugar RH
Method:
1. In large pot bring water, vinegar, spices, and sugar to boil.
Pickling Veggies:
1 lb. cauliflower, cut into florets
1 lb. green beans, trimmed
3 carrots cut into thick 2” sticks
Red pepper cut into strips
10 cloves of garlic, chopped
I improvised on this part by using peeled -stemmed baby carrots and mini sweet peppers, and crushed the garlic instead of chopping it.
Pickling Method:
Place prepared veggies in pickling solution pot and let boil for 3-5 minutes.
Allow the vegges and pickling liquid to cool completely.
When ready pour into clean jars, seal and store in the fridge for at least three days before enjying.
