Onion and Green Apple Quick Pickle

Like Snooki, I am a giant fan of pickles.  While I don't deep-throat bread and butters on the regular, I do quick pickle.  Tangy and crunchy quick pickles are perfect for cutting rich dishes while maintaining the crunch and freshness of the fruits and vegetables.  The basic formula is any crunchy veggies and/or fruits, an acid like citrus or vinegar, and any other flavors you want to add.

Today, I tried out an onion and granny smith combo with Latin American flair to go with the roasted duck leg and summer creamed corn.

Onion and Green Apple Quick Pickle
1/2 onion
1/2 granny smith apple
2 limes, zest and juice
1 tbsp adobo (from a can of chipotle in adobo)
2 tsp light agave nectar
2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
handful of cilantro

The most important part of the quick pickle is surface area created by wafer-thin cuts.  For the onion, cut it in half top to core and place the onion cut side down.  Cut very thinly in the same top to core cut, so you end up with half-moons slivers.  For the apple, cut 2 faces off of the apple core and do a similar very thin top to core cut.  Put the slivers on their side, lining up the skin, and cut the apples into "matches" approximately the same size as the onions.

Once you have maximum surface area, add the lime zest and juice, adobo, agave, garlic powder, and cilantro.  After combining, taste and season with salt and pepper.  Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving to let the mixture pickle.

The result is a refreshing topper that will cut a rich dish beautifully!