pickles for the raw foodist

(answering questions while the jellies process)

(simmering the bell pepper jelly)

last Wednesday i had the pleasure of teaching a canning class in Laguna Beach that was hosted by Transition Laguna and friend Pamela Sterling's eco-showroom, Laguna Green,
in every workshop that i teach, i always try to have some kind of goodie for people to try from a preserve i had made in the past. the good thing about preserves is that even a vegan can have a bite, there are hardly any animal products a pickle or jelly.
what i forgot however was that Pamela was a raw foodist. opps!
basically all of canning involves heat, and a lot of it (like between 180-220 degrees heat), just a little over (sarcasm) the 118 that raw foodists can have....i totally forgot and i felt horrible that she could not have anything.
then i remembered one of the samples i had brought was a new recipe that my friend Courtney from C-Salt gourmet for pickles that she brines in a cold vinegar mix (usually you should heat vinegar and pour it over cold veggies for fridge pickles)-they were perfect for Pamela.

COURTNEY'S RAW PICKLES:

• 2 medium cucs (wax free!)
• 1/2 tsp, give or take, of Herbes de Provence
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 heaping tsp of awesome gray sea salt
• black pepper
• 1/3 water, 2/3 cider vinegar

put everything in a jar w/ lid shake, put it in the fridge, taste the next day. keeps for about 2 weeks.

(giving Pamela some of Courtney's raw pickles to take home-she loved them!)