One of the last events at Daddy’s on Graham Avenue in Brooklyn was a wedding tasting disguised as a pop up. My friends Sam and Nico had asked me to cater their wedding, all they wanted were burritos. So burritos they got! I needed to test the recipes but you can’t just make one. We decided to make a bunch and also sell posters for Burrito Solutions (you still can buy them on Etsy!).
To accompany the burritos, I made my own springtime version of escabeche or pickled carrots and jalapeños. At many Mexican places in California, you’ll get a few pieces of pickled vegetables, sometimes there would be radishes or cauliflower. They’d all have a slick of oil on them because they’ve been lightly cooked but are still crisp when you bite into them. When garlic scapes are in season around April and May, you can use them to replace alliums like onion, leek or garlic.
| Things you'll need: | |
| 4 jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly on a mandoline 4 medium carrots, cut into small dice 4 garlic scapes, chopped into 1/4” pieces 1 cup white vinegar 1 cup water 1 clove garlic, crushed |
2 tablespoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 1 tablespoon olive oil |
Heat a frying pan on high.
Sauté the carrots and scapes in the olive oil, just to get some char-color on the edges for 2 to 3 minutes.
Mix the vegetables and thyme in a large sterilized jar or a heatproof plastic container with a lid.
Combine the water, vinegar, sugar, salt and peppercorn in a small pot. Bring it to a boil.
Stir the brine to dissolve the salt and sugar. Lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the bay leaf and peppercorn.
Carefully pour the brine over the vegetables, making sure they are all submerged.
Let the pickles completely cool to room temperature.
Cover and store in the fridge for up to a week.