Cold-brine pickled green beans

Vinegar-brined pickles differ from fermented pickles; they are a more controlled process and are not dependent on the vagaries of yeasts and bacteria. The process is also usually more straightforward and used more in commercial pickling. There are two types of brining: cold, where no heat is used, and hot brining, where the vegetables are usually cooked for a short time in the brine. The process varies depending on the type of vegetable used and how crunchy you would like the pickles to be.

These pickled beans will steal the show! They are crunchy and permeated with vinegar, lightly spiced with chillies, and have a lovely sweet-ish flavour. They are so easy to pick up and bite into and look lovely on any table. I like to serve them as part of a cheese plate, but you can also serve them with main courses, especially if they are heavy stews or grilled meats. They are perfect as a palate cleanser.

This book is one of my favourites for a variety of vegetarian recipes. The chef's twists on vegetables want me to cook the entire book, and we will eventually get there. Each recipe has been fabulous, with an excellent combination of ingredients and the perfect recipes to highlight each vegetable; this is a cookbook I should be cooking from every day.

For more recipes from this cookbook, click here.

Ingredients:

For the brine:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon salt

15-20 baby green beans, the base trimmed and left whole

4 garlic cloves, sliced

2 dried red chillies

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

Add all the ingredients for the brine to a glass container and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Add the rest of the ingredients and submerge well.

Pickle for 3 days, and the beans are ready. However, they will continue to pickle over time. Store in the fridge for 1 month.