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CORNICHON RECIPE

August 18, 2007 by ghoulsquad

From the invaluable pickling reference, The Joy Of Pickling.

“Because their thin skins make them quite perishable, the very small cornichons (European gherkins) or American-type pickling cucumbers you will need for this recipe should be processed the same day they are harvested, whether you have grown them yourself or are lucky enough to have found them in a produce market or farmers’ market. Recipes for this classic French pickle vary a lot, so don’t feel you must follow this one religiously. Common additions are garlic, cloves, and thyme, and I have sometimes added mustard, coriander, allspice, or even cinnamon. The French often use red wine vinegar, which makes for a delicious if less pretty pickle. I sometimes use cider vinegar, and once I pickled cornichons with ginger, hot pepper, garlic, and rice vinegar, to create what I called Cornichons a l’Orientale, a pungent, clean-tasting pickle. Traditionally, these cornichons accompany paté. My husband loves them with fried ham. “

about 1 1/4 lbs, cornichons (1 1/2 – 2″) or American-type pickling cucumbers (1- 1 1/2″)
3 tablespoons pickling salt
4 shallots, peeled
1 bay leaf
2 tarragon sprigs
10 black peppercorns
2 small dried chile peppers
about 2 cups white wine vinegar
Makes 1 Quart

1. Wash the cucumbers gently, rub off the tiny spines if you’re using cornichon, and remove the blossom ends. In a bowl, mix the cucumbers with the salt. Let the cucumbers stand 24 hours.

2. Drain the cucumbers. Rinse them in cold water, and pat each one dry with a clean towel. Pack the cucumbers into a sterile 1-quart jar, interspersing among them the shallots, bay leaf, tarragon, peppercorns, and chile peppers, and leaving at least 1 inch headspace. Fill the jar to the brim with vinegar. Cover the jar tightly with a nonreactive cap, preferably one that is all plastic. Store the jar in a cool, dry, dark place.

3. The cornichons will be ready to eat in 1 month, and will keep well, unopened, for about 1 year.

Posted in cornichons, recipe | 2 Comments »

A Hardy Hello!

August 18, 2007 by ghoulsquad

Good morning, this is Mister Trunch.  I believe that Mister Kipp did a fair-to-middling introduction of me, and he certainly had me pegged in many respects.  There are aspects of my personality that by necessity must be left unsaid.  It may interest you to know that I always wear a lab-coat, for example, but is hardly the most important detail I could share with you.

I am very pleased to read that our long time ally and friend, Colonel Witherbottom (known to us for many a year abroad and at home) stopped by and ventured forth into this Land of Internet.  I hope to hear from him as often as he can make himself available!  Mister Kipp and I so rarely entertain, these days, now that we are getting on into the twilight of our years.

After much debate and diagram-drawing, Mister Kipp and I have finally come to an accord over what type of sandwich we shall enjoy this fine Saturday.  Today’s sandwich is:

DUCK CONFIT, CORNICHONS, and PROPER MUSTARD.

Please see below if you want a mouth watering view! 

DUCK CONFIT

We are already discussing our choice for next Saturday’s sandwich.  Your comments will be accorded the most thorough examination, if you have the idea for a Delicious Sandwich.

Mister Kipp and I have the most Delightful new neighbor who gave us an entire bottle of cornichons from her native country of France.  I confess this is where we got the idea for it as an ingredient in this week’s sandwich. This young creature is named Amelie, and is most vivacious.  Mister Kipp and I are having her come over for lunch to-day so that she might meet Anemone.  It is important for youth to mingle with each other!

CORNICHONS

Posted in Amelie, Anemone, cornichons, duck confit, lab-coat, sandwich, Witherbottom | 2 Comments »

It has come to our attention-

August 16, 2007 by ghoulsquad

Good readers, I bid you welcome!

 I am Mister Kipp, one half of the force behind this site.  Mister Trunch, my long time ally and room-mate, is the other half.  At present moment he is engaged in a most heroic battle with a cobweb lodged ever so inconveniently above our toilet, so the task of introducing ourselves falls to my shoulders.

Mister Trunch and I first learned about this Internet through the Saturday visits we are paid by our longtime young friend, Mistress Anemone Greathouse.  She is charged with bringing us a sandwich of ample size every Saturday.  She is a good girl and does her duty in this way most unceasingly.  And since we are such long time friends, she has also given us a Lap Top Computer that was once the property of a Mister Vendicutt– poor man lost his life in a valiant struggle with an electric can opener and a tin of smelt.  But we got his Computer just the same, and after Anemone’s young man Linus gave us halting instructions, we are now going to have a broader stage for our most interesting hobbies and opinions.

We also hope Anemone reads our posts often to learn of changes we make in our sandwich requests.  (Mr Trunch has just yelled that bit of intel to me from the toilet.  He is still attempting to dislodge the most stubborn cobweb I wager we have ever seen)

It is true that most of my waking hours are spent in the pursuit of ectoplasmic research.  (this is how we are acquainted with young Anemone, of course.)  However, I also have passing fancies in several other arenas. If any of the readers here share any of my interests, perhaps we can strike up a jolly pen pal friendship.

My other interests are as follows:
Maps of Sumatra
Kale
Home shampoo recipes
Goldfinches
Paste

Mr Trunch has instructed me to write  his current areas of interest:

  • Tropical Beetles 
  • Lyme Disease 
  • Mrs Helen Duncan 
  • Smelt
  • Drinks made by the addition of various powders

Welcome!

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »