Quick and Spicy Dill Pickles with Onions

   Today is a very special day in my head.  Roughly.... now.... my four Renaissance clothing creations are making their debut to the public.  If you consider school children "the public".  Sometimes I feel like I am over this experience, but at this moment, it does feel like something is missing from my life.  That tiny, nagging emptiness you can't quite put your finger on.  Except that I can put my finger on it.  I love the Tennessee Renaissance Festival with all my heart, and this is the second year in a row that I am not there for opening weekend.  Because of TRF, I have the most amazing friends a person could ask for, I met the most wonderful man in the world, I discovered a deep passion for sewing and designing, and I have grown as a person in ways I can't even describe.

   I wish I had a period recipe to share with you.  Maybe a roast pheasant or peacock.  I would even go with the not actually period yet faire-ubiquitous turkey leg.  Next year at this time, promise.  While I don't have a period recipe, I do have a new recipe using a period technique.  Pickling.  It's been used for centuries to preserve food through winters and for long journeys.  Dill, onions, and cucumbers were horticulturally established in England during the 16th Century.  The geographic equivalents of France, Germany, and Hungary were preserving cucumbers with herbs and spices at the time.  So, technically speaking they could have made something very similar to this.

Quick and Spicy Dill Pickles with Onions
1/2 lrg English cucumber
1/2 medium onion
1 tsp dill
1/2 C white vinegar
1/2 C cider vinegar
1/4 C water
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 lrg cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flake

   Cut cucumber on a bias in 1/4 inch slices.  Thinly slice onion.  Toss with dill in a heat proof bowl or jar.
   Combine the rest of the ingredients in a pot.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Boil for about 2 min then turn off heat.  Allow to cool for 3-4 minutes.  Pour over vegetables.  Let cool to room temp.  Refrigerate.
   Will keep for about 10 days.
   Serves 4-6.

And for you to get an idea of my love for the TN Ren Faire...