Tis the season to pickle

Ididn’t realize how much I took for granted growing up in an agricultural region until I moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, for college.

Even in my pre-Winters days, when I was living in South Valle jo, we had fruit trees in our back yard. There was not a lack of fresh loquats, pears, ap ples or blackber ries. But the qual ity of produce in Michigan was not the same.

I resentfully sorted through the produce at Harding’s and Meijer produce sections that featured selections of fruit and vegetables that lacked a vivid smell of fresh and were bland in taste. I ended up working as a server at a TexMex restaurant just so I would have access to avocados and tomatoes that had better flavor.

Over the course of the last two or so years, my front and back yards have turned into a small urban farm where my husband has successfully grown a flourishing amount of vegetables. We have more tomatoes, yellow squash and zucchini than I know what to do with. Our refrigerator and freezer are stocked with pasta sauce.

I have patiently been waiting for the cucumbers and beets to begin growing in unimaginable amounts. However, the slow steady two here and three here have made efforts to pickle them almost agonizing.

Luckily, I’ve been able to turn to the Winters Farmers Market to help fill in the gaps.

If you haven’t made it down to the Farmers Market on Sundays, you’re missing out. Since its launch, the selection of produce and products has only grown.

The other week we picked up some beets, carrots and cucumbers so I could get the next rotation of pickled things ready.

I made the mistake of waiting too long and we were without homemade pickles. For someone who couldn’t stand the smell or taste of pickles as a child, I sure eat the heck out of the spicy, garlic pickles I make in our refrigerator.

I also have fond memories of jalapeño carrots from San Diego. At my first round of college at the University of LaVerne, a friend introduced me to a restaurant that served freshly made salsa and jalapeño carrots that alternated between which was the hottest. I had yet to find carrots that matched that quality until I attempted my own version at home.

There’s something to be said about crafting your own foods.

Once you get a good recipe and technique down, nothing quite matches those expectations. I guess it’s similar to homemade dishes. No one makes spam taste quite as crispy as my grandma Apilado did and my Aunt Josephina’s nopales recipe is still top notch in my opinion.

I will happily spend an evening making the perfect pickling brew, slicing jalapeño peppers, and crushing freshly grown garlic cloves knowing that within a couple of weeks, I’ll be able to sit on the couch watching a crime docuseries with a jar of something pickled to snack on.

With that said, I have jars of cucumbers, green beans, jalapeño carrots and beets marinating in concoctions inside my refrigerator.

This is my first time attempting to pickle beets and I’m not sure if they will be as satisfying in this first go. But I will learn a thing or two and make adjustments for when my garden beets are ready to harvest. At least that’s the plan.

If you have a to-diefor pickling recipe –and are willing to share – I’d love to hear all about it. And, don’t forget to head out to the Farmers Market this Sunday. Stock up on your favorite local items and try something new. You may be surprised.

I’m not sure what it is about a deli sandwich from Lorenzo’s, but they just make me look forward to them whenever I buy one. Typically, I’ll get one of these bad boys if I’m going up to spend the day at Lake Berryessa or am floating down Lake Solano because they keep well. This time around, however, I got one that’d only survive the ride home.

Like with most deli sandwiches, customization is the name of the game. I started out choosing a sourdough roll as the sando’s foundation.

Then I had some turkey slapped on there followed by a flood of mayo and mustard. Far from finished, I had the sandwich artist load it up with some lettuce, red onions, pickles, pepperoncinis, American cheese, extra avocado, cucumber, sprouts and bacon.

Sure, the ‘cado, cucumber, sprouts and bacon were extra, but — as I always like to mention — the Winters Express spares no expense when it comes to expensing my food-review meals. After I got home, I unwrapped this massive morsel, unhinged my jaw like a snake and took a hefty bite. The sourdough roll was fresh and delicious, and the rest of the sandwich was so stacked, the garnish was darn-near falling out of the sides. Luckily,

I’m a slob and just stuffed it all in my gullet while my cat watched from the side and judged me thus. Go ahead and judge me, Kit Cat — I enjoyed every delicious bite of this deli sandwich and will feel no shame.

At the end of the day, I was fat and happy with my choice. It wasn’t a five-star gourmet experience, and that’s not what I was after either. Every time I order a sando from that deli, I know I’m getting something tasty, well made and relatively inexpensive. The holy trinity for my budget-adhering when it comes to eating out. Luckily for me, the Lorenzo’s deli knows just how to tickle mine and my budget’s fancy and is why I’ve dubbed their sandos this week’s FLAVOR FAVE!