GUEST RECIPE: light pickles [pickled turnips and onions]

blog_lightpickles_titleHi! I am Olivia. I have been an avid gamer since the day my dad put an Atari controller in my hands and taught me how to play Pac-Man. I’ve had the pleasure of playing a great many different systems but have to admit that the GameCube is still my absolute favorite console. I have come to dearly love MMOs but the best game ever has to be Harvest Moon: A Wonderful Life. It was the game that introduced me to cooking/crafting and I was absolutely smitten; I spent the entire 3 day Blockbuster rental period glued to the TV, squeezing out every second I could before it had to go back. It is still my go-to game just to relax and really enjoy the experience.
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The first recipe I wanted to translate is very simple, both in the game and in the real world. It is also the dish that I have made most often as it is only one ingredient and is great for getting the cooking count up to progress to other recipes. There are a lot of things that could have been added to the jar for more flavor but after some internal debate, I felt that the recipe was meant to be uncomplicated as possible.
UNIT COMPOSITION
blog_lightpickles_ingredients
  1. 1    Large Turnip
  2. 1/2 Large Red Onion
  3. 1    Cup Rice Wine Vinegar  ( there is white wine in the photo, I changed my mind at the last minute and used something more traditionally Japanese even though most of the recipes in this game seem to lean more towards Indian food)
  4. 1 Cup Hot Water
  5. 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  6. 10-20 Whole Black Peppercorns
  7. 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
  8. 1 Quart Sized Jar (or other 4 cup, non-metal, container that can be sealed tightly)
 BUILD ORDER
  1. . Peel and thinly slice the onion and turnip. (I used a mandolin for even slices. They can be expensive but I found mine at a thrift store for about 10 bucks.)
    blog_lightpickles_pickling
  2.  Put the turnip and onion in alternating layers in the jar.
  3.  Whisk the remaining ingredients together in a saucepan until sugar and salt are dissolved and the liquid has reached a nice simmer.
    blog_lightpickles_cooking
  4. Pour saucepan contents over the sliced vegetables. Put lid on and invert the container a few times to ensure even saturation. Allow to cool for about an hour, then refrigerate. These should keep for about a week.
In the game, these are served as a salad, by themselves. I have found that similar refrigerator pickles are good as condiments on sandwiches or served as a side dish to spicy foods.
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Special guest recipe by Olivia Augustus. You can find her roaming the vast world of Second Life, diving into a game of Catan, or enjoying some of her favorite games.You can follow her adventures on her Twitter: @OliviaAugustus.

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