The answer in this house is a tangle of bright young vegetables that has been left in a sweet and salty marinade.
A sweet-sour accompaniment, but also something to stuff inside sandwiches, and particularly fine with thin slices of air-dried ham in a crisp-crusted baguette or adding texture to a soft, doughy wrap. Makes 1 x 500g Kilner jar. Ready in two hours.
1 small cucumber
1 large spring onion
1 medium carrot
4 radishes
6 heaped Tbsp sauerkraut
For the pickle
6 Tbsp rice vinegar
6 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp fennel seeds
15 black peppercorns
8 juniper berries
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
Peel the cucumber, then slice it in half lengthways. Scoop out the core and its seeds with a teaspoon and discard. Cut the cucumber into 1cm-thick slices and put them in a large bowl.
Peel the spring onion, slice into thin rounds and add to the cucumber. Scrub the carrot then, using a potato peeler, shave into long ribbons. Add these to the bowl, then thinly slice and add the radishes and sauerkraut.
In a small, stainless-steel saucepan mix together the vinegars, fennel seeds, peppercorns and juniper berries. Add the sugar and salt and place over a moderate heat. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Pour the hot pickling liquor over the vegetables and toss gently together.
Let the pickle cool, then chill in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few days in a sealed jar in the fridge. — Guardian News & Media
