Mexican Pickled Carrots

I first had these crispy pickles at a little Mexican restaurant near the University of Oregon. They're a perfect appetizer or side to tacos and other standard fare. The heat is easily adjusted by varying the amount of jalapenos that are used.
2 lbs large carrots, peeled and sliced into ⅛ inch thick pieces
½ large white onion cut in ¼ inch slices
5 cloves garlic peeled and diced
1 ¾ cups cider vinegar
1 ¾ cups water
10 bay leaves, whole
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 teaspoon salt
3 oz. pickled jalapenos

Combine vinegar, water, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then add the carrots. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the jalapenos along with a little of the juice they were packed in and bring to a simmer again for another 5-10 minutes. Check for texture = you want the carrot slices firm, but tender enough to bite easily, not limp and mushy.

Let the carrots cool to at least room temperature and then transfer the carrots and cooking liquid into a covered container and refrigerate overnight. It improves the flavor if you layer in a little fresh cilantro, but do this only if they will be eaten within a few days.
OR
Transfer hot into canning jars and seal. You can combine the carrots with fresh cilantro at serving time if you seal  them.

Store the carrots in the liquid in the refrigerator and use a slotted spoon or pickle tongs to serve them. You may leave the bay leaves in the liquid to add to the flavor, but do not eat them.
This proportion of jalapenos produces an only slightly hot pickle. Double it for more fire. The pickles also pick up more “heat” if they stand for several weeks. Best stored in the refrigerator a few days before serving so the flavors mingle, they will keep for several weeks.

Aunt Flora's Shoepeg Corn Salad

We had this salad at a family reunion this summer and thought it was one of the best summer side dishes we'd come across. It's adapted from one served at a famous steakhouse near Snyder, TX. The dressing in this version is a little less sweet, but that certainly can be adjusted to individual tastes. The salad calls specifically for shoepeg corn. This is a common ingredient in southern cooking, but may be difficult to find elsewhere. [We found it in Nevada in Walmart and another local grocery store. In one store it was in with regular canned corn, in the other it was with black-eyed peas and other "specialty" canned vegetables, so look over the whole department before you give up.]

Shoepeg corn kernels are smaller, crisper, sweeter than most corn, but if you can't locate it use frozen or good quality whole kernel petite white corn and the results will be similar. The original recipe called for canned corn peas and French green beans, so that's what I started with, but I've tried using frozen and I think you get a fresher texture and better color, so those amounts are included in parentheses in the recipe. I undercooked the frozen veggies by just a smidge so they wouldn't get too soft. I cooked each separately as they all required different times by a minute or two, but used the same liquid to preserve some of the flavors.

1 can French style green beans (1 1/2 c. frozen, cooked according to package directions)
1 can LeSure English peas (1 1/2 c. frozen, cooked according to package directions)
1 can shoepeg corn (1 1/2 c. frozen shoepeg or petite white whole kernel)
1 c. celery (diced small)
 2 oz. canned pimiento (chopped)
1/2 c. green pepper (chopped)
1/2 c.  red or yellow pepper (chopped)
1 bunch green. onions (chopped - use white and green parts)

Dressing:
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 c. salad oil (or half salad and half olive)
1 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

Drain canned vegetables, or prepare frozen and cool, then combine in large bowl. Add diced fresh vegetables. Bring dressing ingredients to a rolling boil. Cook 2 minutes, cool. Pour over vegetable mixture, store covered in refrigerator overnight before serving so the flavors mingle. This salad keeps well. It's a great salad by itself, or used as a garnish on a mixed green salad.