claussen cousins

my love affair with Claussen Kosher Dills goes way back. my Aunt Janelle is to thank for introducing me to these and she is, quite possibly, the pickle fairy. the day i had my first Claussen KD was a fabulous day in my little Laura life. i was about 5 years old, and was hanging out with Alonna, i snapped straight into that tangy vinegared delight and I never once looked back. 

between '89 and '93 if you had asked Alonna or I, we would have both placed Claussen pickles on our top-three foods list. Her other top contenders were 1. ice cream and 2. popcorn. The best part is that we used to fight over who got the biggest pickle.  funny? yes. a joke? no.

pickles 

claussen cousins

pickles part deux 

budding pickle enthusiasts + fair hair

the claussen clones were super easy to make, crispy and delicious. of course, i'll always still keep a jar of the real thing in the fridge.

CLAUSSEN DILL PICKLE CLONES
1 lb cucumbers
1/3 cup minced onion
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon mustard seeds
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 1/2 quarts water
2 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup canning salt


Slice cucumbers lengthwise into quarters; add to sterilized jars along with the dill. Boil liquids and seasonings to dissolve the salt & then cool the mixture. Pour over pickles and seal lids and refrigerate.They can keep for up to a year.

texas caviar

The ladies in my family make this dish for parties and it is enjoyed by all.  you can make it a couple days in advance, if you have the time, giving the black eyed peas extra time to marinate in the vinegar.  the more time the mix rests before serving, the more the flavors meld together. we serve this like a salsa with corn chips for dipping.  this time, I tried adding a few chopped jalapeños to the mix, that's optional but it did give the mix a nice zing.

4 cups cooked black eyed peas (2 packages in the frozen section, follow the instructions on the bag to cook)
1/2 red onion, chopped finely
1 red bell pepper, chopped finely
4 celery stalks, chopped finely
1 jar of chopped pimentos
2 jalapeños, chopped finely

for the dressing:
1 bottle red wine vinegar (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Tostito's Restaurant Style corn chips for dipping

Mix all of the beans and veggies in a large bowl.  Mix dressing in a separate container and stir.  Pour dressing over bean mixture, and stir to combine. I like to pour a little extra vinegar into the bowl after this step just to make sure the entire mixture is covered with vinegar.  Let marinate over night or up to 3 days in advance of when you plan to serve it.  Serve alongside corn tortilla chips.