Pickled Cherry Tomatoes

 

Ingredients
1.5 Cups Cherry/Grape Tomatoes, quartered  (halved)
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced  (red is best, I only had yellow so that's what I used)
4 Garlic cloves, minced
1 Green Chili, sliced (omitted)
Salt to taste
1/3Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning (Penzeys Tuscan Sunset and a dash of Penzeys Mural of Flavor)
2 Tbsp Sugar
Fresh Basil, chopped (1t dried)
Fresh Cilantro, chopped  (omitted cuz, eww soap!)
Black Pepper, freshly cracked

Instructions

• Wash and dry the tomatoes. 
• Quarter the cherry tomatoes and thinly slice the onion.
• With a garlic press, smash the garlic.
• In a bowl, add tomatoes with their juices, onion, and garlic to the jar.
• Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, green chili, sugar, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, basil, cilantro.
• Mix well and keep aside for an hour or two till the flavors are released. (I put them in a ziploc, kept them on the counter for two hours, flipped once)
• Pour this in a glass jar, close the lid and refrigerate. (still in the ziploc into fridge, flipped once an hour-ish for another 4hrs - poured into an airtight container for storrage)
• Keep refrigerated for at least 2 days before enjoying the pickled tomatoes. (We only waited until they were in the storage container to get some! Sprinkled a bit of grated parmesan on them and ate 'em up. Yum! We can see how they will only get better with time)
• Enjoy by adding to salad, topping of pita bread, or make bruschetta or crostini! 

Notes:

• Use fresh plump tomatoes for the best flavors. Do not use tomatoes with deep cracks or bruises.
• Mix together the ingredients and keep them aside for 1 to 2 hrs to let the flavors and juices release.
• Sterilize the jars before canning the tomatoes.
• You can refrigerate the pickled cherry tomatoes and store them for up to 1 month.
• Keep the pickled tomatoes refrigerated for 2 days before enjoying them for the flavors to release.

Easy Pickle Spears

 Ingredients
1 lb. Kirby or Persian cucumbers (or whatever cucs you have on hand - I used 4 small and 2 large)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (separated into chunks)
2 large sprigs fresh dill (or 5-8 small dill sprigs)
1 cup water
3/4 cup white vinegar 
1 Tbsp. kosher salt 
Directions
Step 1
Trim ends from cucumbers and slice into spears. Pack into 2 (16-oz. glass jar along with garlic and dill.
Step 2
Make brine: in a small saucepan, combine water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stir until salt is dissolved, and remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour over cucumbers, seal jar, and shake. Let cool completely on the counter, then refrigerate until cold.
Step 3
Wait at least 2 hours to eat the pickles, but the longer you wait, the more flavorful they’ll be. If you can, try waiting 24 hours.  (I had a test pickle at 4hrs, tasty, after 24hrs, it was a real dill pickle!)

Original recipe from delish.com