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Pickles

MCVICKER’S CLASSIC GARLIC DILL PICKLES

(Makes about 8 pint jars or 4 quarts)

6 pounds pickling cucumbers (3-4 inches long)
4 cups white vinegar, or a mix of white and apple cider vinegar
4 cups water
¼ cup non-iodized salt (pickling or sea salt)
¼ cup sugar
8 cloves garlic
8 teaspoons McVicker Pickling Spice Mix
8 dried hot red peppers (optional)
fresh dill sprigs (to taste)

Wash cucumbers well, scrub off any dirt or residue with a vegetable brush. Trim off the stem/blossom end (this contains an enzyme that causes pickles to go soggy.) Slice into spears or halves, then pack into jars with garlic, dill, dried peppers and pickling spice (1 teaspoon per pint, or two teaspoons per quart).

In a nonreactive pot, combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Heat until all sugar and salt dissolves.

Ladle the hot brine into the jars, leaving ½ to 1 inch headspace. Add lids and shake gently to distribute spices. Refrigerate for one week before serving. These will keep for 3-4 months refrigerated, but they won’t last that long!

FERMENTED CUCUMBER PICKLES

5-8 Pickling Cucumbers (small, 3-4 inches is ideal)
1 quart purified or distilled water
2-3 Tablespoons Pickling Salt (see chart below)
1 Tablespoon McVicker Pickling Spice Mix, or your own blend of spices (dill, caraway,
coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorn, etc.)
2-3 sprigs fresh dill and 2-3 cloves garlic, or to taste

Wash the cucumbers gently but thoroughly, scrubbing off any dirt. Trim off just the very tip (1/8 inch) of the blossom end—this usually is the smaller end. If the cucumbers are small enough, you can leave them whole. If not, halves, spears, or slices work fine too.

Add the spice mix, fresh dill and garlic to a clean quart jar. Pack the cucumbers in strategically to get as tight a fit as possible. But be careful not to smoosh them too much—this may result in soft spots. You want the brine to be able to circulate evenly throughout.

Dissolve the salt in the purified water and pour it over the cucumbers. Make sure the cucumbers are completely submerged under the liquid. If they are bobbing up in the brine or floating on top, you’ll need to weigh them down. This can be done by cutting a piece of large cucumber so that it creates a “lid” inside the jar, or by filling a plastic zipped baggie with brine and placing it in the neck of the jar.

Cover the jar lightly with the lid (don’t screw it on, just place it lightly on top so that the fermentation gases can escape) and leave at room temperature for 3 to 8 days. When the flavor has developed to your liking, seal up, refrigerate and enjoy!

Proud Mary Pickles

Of course we encourage you to garnish your Bloody Marys with McVicker Pickles, whenever possible. That said, we are pretty DIY or die ourselves, and we highly encourage pickling at home! In fact, Kelly teaches classes where you can learn to do just that, so check them out here if you’re interested.

This recipe makes 1 big jar of spicy pickled veggies that you can toss in your Bloody Mary, or just use to brighten up a weekday salad while you dream of Sunday brunch.

1 lb assorted veggies (carrots, cucumbers, celery, green beans, okra, etc)
1 cup white or apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
½ cup Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix
¼ cup sugar (optional)
1/8 cup salt
4-6 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
3 TBSP pickling spice, or a combination of a few of your favorite whole spices (dill seed, caraway seed, mustard seed, black peppercorn, coriander, etc)

Cut veggies down to spears, sticks or small pieces to fit in your mason jar with an inch of space at the top—remember you’ll want to submerge these all in brine. Tender veggies (cucumbers, onions) can be added to the brine raw.

For more dense veggies (carrots, okra, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, green beans), a bit of heat will soften them up and help them absorb the brine. If you’re using any of these: Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Toss the veggies in and cook them for 2-3 minutes, just until they’re tender. Drain, then pack into clean mason jars.

Make the brine:

Mix together the vinegar, water, Proud Mary, salt and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar and salt (don’t overboil). Reduce to a simmer, add the spices and simmer for 5 minutes.

Fill a large (quart sized) mason jar with the veggies. Add garlic cloves and fresh dill in the nooks and crannies between veggies. Pour the hot brine over it all, let cool to room temperature, then seal and place in the fridge. They’ll have a good pickly flavor after a couple hours, but wait at least 24 hours for the best flavor. Store in the fridge for up to three months.

Entrées

10-Minute Eggs in Purgatory

2 Tbsp butter
1 cup Proud Mary
2-4 eggs
Grated parmesan (optional)
Chopped parsley or cilantro for garnish (optional)
Melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add Proud Mary and adjust heat to bring it all to a low simmer. When you see bubbles forming at the edge of the sauce, make a small indentation for each egg and slooooowly crack each one into the sauce, doing your best to keep them together. Now, don’t touch! Let it all simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the whites look set but the yolks are still loose. Sprinkle with the optional herbs & cheese, then enjoy with toasted bread or tortillas.

Proud Mary Puttanesca

Ah, puttanesca. Depending on how literally you take the translation, and how far back you go, its name either refers to a humble everyday meal, or a seductive sauce that prostitutes used to lure in their clients. You decide.

Either way, it’s delicious! This briny, pungent and spicy sauce is a dream come true for pickle & Bloody Mary lovers. And because it relies on ingredients you can probably find in your pantry and fridge (olives, capers, canned tomatoes, garlic, and of course, Proud Mary) it’s a super easy meal that can be scaled up to feed a crew on short notice.

Ingredient note: Puttanesca sauce traditionally includes anchovies, but since we worked so hard to keep Proud Mary vegan (did you know most Worchestershire sauce has anchovies?) we left it out of this recipe. If you’re fond of the fishies, add 2 oz of chopped anchovy fillets to the skillet along with the garlic cloves to simmer in the olive oil before adding the other ingredients.

1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 whole large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
2/3 cup greed or black oil-cured olives, sliced
½ cup Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix (add more to bump up the spice level)
2 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
1 TBSP dried oregano, or 1 sprig fresh
1 lb. spaghetti or linguine
Coarsely chopped Italian parsley, for serving

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook just until it’s fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, Proud Mary, olives, capers, and oregano; bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until the liquid has reduced slightly, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook to al dente according to package instructions. Drain. Return the sauce to medium heat, then add the pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat, stirring to help thicken the sauce, 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to a large platter or bowl. Sprinkle generously with chopped parsley, and enjoy!

Buttermilk Proud Mary Roasty Chicken

This recipe is our spin on Samin Nosrat’s “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat”. She took her inspiration from Southern Grandmas who marinate their chicken overnight before frying.

In this recipe the buttermilk, salt & Proud Mary Bloody Mary mix act as a brine & make one hell of a juicy chicken.

Ingredients:

3.5 lbs to 4 lbs whole fresh chicken (we used Mary’s Free Range Organic Chicken)
2 cups of buttermilk
1 cup of Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix
Salt, pepper, lemon & thyme

Step 1.

24 hours prior to cooking: wash & season your bird generously with salt.

Step 2.

Dissolve 2 teaspoons of your favorite salt into the Proud Mary and combine with the buttermilk.

Stuff your chicken with thyme & lemon wheels or wedges & place in a large ziplock bag.

Add the brine of buttermilk & mix to the ziplock and make sure the chicken is coated.

Step 3.

Pull the chicken from the fridge about an hour before you place in the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken from the ziplock & remove as much brine as you possible. Next, place the chicken in a shallow roast pan.

Step 4.

To allow for the optimum, succulent & savory bird we follow Samin’s perfect instructions on how to cook a chicken.

Tightly tie the legs with butcher twine.
Slide the chicken all the way to the back of the oven in the centre rack.
Rotate so the legs are pointed towards the rear left corner & breast towards the oven.
Cook at 425 degrees for 20 mins.
Reduce to 400 degrees & continue cooking for 10 more mins.
Move pan so legs are now facing the rear right corner of the oven.
Cook for 30 mins or so further. * with about 10 minutes to go I covered my chicken with tinfoil so as to keep that perfect brown & caramelized hue.
Make sure juices are running clear when you insert the knife down to the bone between the leg & the thigh.
Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 mins before serving.

Slow Cooker Bloody Mary Turkey Chili

Ingredients

1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped bell pepper
1½ lb. ground turkey
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp. tomato paste
3 cups Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black or garbanzo beans, rinsed
2 cups chicken broth
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

For garnish: chopped green onion, cilantro, and shredded cheddar

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and pepper and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is lightly browned (but not fully cooked) Season with salt and pepper, then stir in garlic, ginger, and tomato paste and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a slow cooker.

To the slow cooker, add the Bloody Mary mix, beans, chicken broth, and cilantro. Cook on high for 4 hours, until the chili has thickened.

Check for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with more cilantro, green onion and cheese.

Cocktails

Mission Bowl Michelada

1 Oz. Bruxo Mezcal
1 Oz. Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix
6 Oz. Thirst quenching light beer

Build cocktail over ice in a chilled salted rim glass. Garnish with fresh Rosemary.

Proud Mary Bay Area Bloody Mary

2 Oz. Spiritworks Vodka
4 Oz. Proud Mary Bloody Mary Mix

Add Ingredients to a shaking tin. Shake until all ingredients combine. Serve with a McVicker pickle or two.