Easy Dilled Squash Spears (Zucchini Pickles)

[Deanna]

This is for whoever asked about zucchini recipes...the message is buried somewhere below...so I'm posting this here. It's from The Victory Garden Cookbook.

Easy Dilled Squash Spears

2 lb zucchini or yellow summer squash
6 Tbl kosher salt
1 large sweet onion
2-3 cloves garlic
4 heads fresh dill, plus a bunch of leaves
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbl sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp mustard seeds

Wash and trim the squash. Cut into serving-size spears. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup salt and cover with ice water. Let stand 2 hours. Drain, rinse, and drain once more.

Slice the onion. Peel and slice the garlic. In a large bowl layer squash, onion slices, garlic, and dill.

In an enameled or stainless steel saucepan, mix the vinegar, 1 cup water, 2 tablespoons salt, sugar, and celery and mustard seeds. Heat until the sugar and salt dissolve. Pour over the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate 2 days before using.

Makes 2 quarts.

[Stephanie]

Thanks Deanna for the recipe. Quick question though. I'm confused about how much dill to use. Do you know what they mean by 4 "heads" of fresh dill? My dill always grows in wispy branches.

[Deanna]

The "head" of the dill plant contains the seeds. Here is some information from http://www.garden.com on growing and cooking with dill. (And note the educational use of graphics...here you can see the rounded "head" of the dill plant...)

http://image2.garden.com/images/magazine/164/1273/dill.jpg

Leafy Dill
Look for varieties like Dukat that hold their leafy fronds longer than other cultivars so you can enjoy the especially aromatic sweet flavor of dill for many weeks. You'll find dill plants' fine cut leaves are a lovely garden accent.

Growing dill: Sow seed in early spring in a well drained sunny spot. Make several sowings a few weeks apart for long successive harvesting and thin properly for the lushest leafy plants followed by seed heads to use for pickles and potato salad.

Cooking with dill: Chopped fresh dill leaf is my herbal secret ingredient to really perk up all green salads. The filigreed blue-green leaves are nice with shellfish, and a natural with carrots and cucumbers. I love chopped fresh green dill sprinkled over buttered yellow summer squash or to top succulent steamed new potatoes. Try fresh sweet corn cut from the cob and topped with chopped fresh dill and a drizzle of melted sweet butter. Aromatic ferny dill is a delicate seasoning herb for grilled salmon and a great herb to add to tomato-based marinades for BBQ'ed chicken. For dill lovers, try Dilled Brittle Bread Crisps and Rosy Dilled Radish Dip.

[This message has been edited by Deanna (edited 06-30-2000).]

[Stephanie]

I'm totally impressed with the graphics and the wealth of info on dill. I've grown it before and had good luck with it ( it's almost impossible to kill, it seems). Thanks for the help.

[DJFan88]

Thanks!

[Beth]

I learned recently that for making pickles, it is best to use the heads with the flowers or seeds. When you are using the leaves of an herb, yu want to use them before the plant flowers (pinching my basil daily) because the flavor will change once the flowers form, but for dill, you want the flowers or seeds.