Pickle

These plums nicely complement pork or lamb chops. You can slip off the skins before eating if you like.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less but requires additional unattended time.

These pickled peppers work well with Cheddar and other firm/hard cheeses.

Active time: 1 1/4 hr Start to finish: 5 1/2 hr (plus 1 week for flavors to develop)

A Scandinavian table is seldom without them.

Preserving a Meyer lemon captures its glorious perfume. We’ve adapted cookbook author Paula Wolfert’s quick method, our favorite, and made it even faster by blanching the lemons first. The rind of a preserved lemon is a common ingredient in Moroccan dishes; we also love it in all kinds of soups, stews, and salads and as a low-fat alternative to olives. Save the pulp for Bloody Marys or anything else enlivened by a little lemon juice and salt.

I first tasted this Cantonese pickle in a commercial version that I bought in Seattle's International District. The pickle contained stem ginger, in thick pieces so tender that you could eat them right along with the other vegetables. If you happen to grow your own ginger, by all means use the stems in this recipe. Otherwise, include the ginger just as a flavoring. The children who have tasted this pickle love it just as much as the adults do.

A unique combination of ingredients gives this compote a sweet and tangy pickled taste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, place the toasted coriander seeds in a plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin.

Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 2 hr

A colorful addition to any appetizer platter, this snappy dish makes a nice lunch when eaten on its own with some crusty bread on the side.

The best way to eat sugar snap peas is right off the vine. This recipe ranks a close second, though. I pickle any sugar snap peas that the kids don't eat right away, and continue to enjoy them for weeks after the pea vines have wilted away.

Zanne Stewart, Gourmet's executive food editor, originally developed these carrot sticks to take on a picnic, but they were such a hit they've become a staple in her refrigerator. Best of all, they don't need to be sealed in sterilized jars, so they're a snap to make.

Mellowed by brief cooking and wine, this pickled garlic is very mild in flavor. Slice it to add to salads or use as a garnish. Or top off the jar with olive oil, and serve the whole cloves as an appetizer.

A charming alchemy takes place when you "quick-pickle" red onions. They act very sweetly with a wide range of birds, meat, and fish, and I also use them in Papas a la Huancaina and Conch Salad.