While we're always excited about the newest Hershey's candy or next Cheetos flavor, we adore trying handmade, artisanal products from smaller vendors. In our new series Artisanal Pick, we're highlighting small-batch products that we've tried, tested, and devoured.
If you told me a few months back that I'd be swooning over a jar of pickled cauliflower, I'd likely scoff. But, in this case, I couldn't be happier to be wrong. Full of tangy-vinegar punch and with a perfect crisp, but not too crisp texture, these pickles from Emmy's Pickles and Jams were one of my favorite things I tasted as a judge at the Good Food Awards, and I wasn't even judging the pickles category!
Since my first tentative nibble (I'm typically a rather stalwart broccoli and cauliflower-hater) I've been smitten. In fact, I couldn't help but pop one after another of the tender florets in my mouth, despite initially trying these briny, Indian-spiced pickles on a rather full stomach. Just ask the food team; I cannot and will not stop talking about them, so it seemed that it was time to finally bring in a jar to the office to share.
Not too surprisingly, the consensus was that they're a game changer of sorts. Novel, but not so out of the box to remain squarely in the "interesting" category, these pickles are an excellent snack eaten plain — I somewhat shamefully often eat them straight from the jar — but they'd add zing to any manner of dishes, in particular, as an excellent foil for fatty meats as part of a charcuterie spread. All in all, I'd suggest you cast aside any doubts you might have about the concept of pickled cauliflower and snap up a jar; they're really just that good.
I grew up eating this light and refreshing salad at my mother's table, and it's still one of my favorite dishes to start off a light meal. The flavor profile is tart, the texture crunchy, and the combination so simple yet so satisfying. 
The best part? The longer you let it sit, the better it tastes. After you've made it once, try altering the ingredients to see what works better for you — cider vinegar or white vinegar, more or less soy sauce, and so forth. My favorite cucumbers to use are the Japanese variety, because they're so crisp and firm. When they aren't available, I substitute Persian cucumbers. Read on to check out 
When it comes to 
Every week, our office receives a CSA box full of seasonal fruit. Recently, it contained a ton of unripe pears, so I knew I had to try out 
The simple pickling brine combines equal parts water, sugar, and rice vinegar and then salt to taste. Weighing down the contents with another bowl prevents oxidation and helps speed up the fermenting process. 
These pickled pears will awaken your palate. They retain their crisp, crunchy texture while soaking up the rice vinegar and sugar. Adding a little salt on the outside rounds out the sharp vinegar flavor. Eat them as you would other pickles: a few nested on the side of an egg breakfast, sliced thin and placed inside a sandwich for lunch, or alongside an Asian stir-fry. 
There's a new medley in town, and no it's not peas and carrots. House-made pickled vegetables have become a huge appetizer hit in restaurants. Whether it's due to the surge of gluten-free restaurant-goers who have to say no to bread and butter or the rising popularity of fermented foods, across San Francisco, restaurants like Millennium, Bar Tartine, and Mission Chinese Food are serving up pickled vegetables, which usually include cabbage, cucumber, and/or carrots. Beyond California, others like Chicago's The Publican and NYC's Gramercy Tavern offer pickled items on their menus like fennel, chard stems, and even mushrooms.
Looking to ramp up your pickle game? While our first suggestion would be to 