Dark Days 3: Simple plus Dessert (updated with pickle recipe)

Roasted sweet potatoes with lots of salt and pepper. 

Collard greens cooked long and slow with sweet onion, salt, hot sauce, and finished with a splash of vinegar.  Satisfyingly strong dill pickles. 

And then, dessert because I was using up dabs out of the freezer and keeping my family off a new batch of Christmas cookies made for later this week.   I love gingerbread with peaches!

Specifically, the Dark Days aspects:  sweet potatoes, onions, and collards from local farmers.  Gingergread made with local organic eggs, local organice whole wheat pastry flour, homemade yogurt from local milk, and locally produced molasses (but I don't know where their raw ingredients come from - that warrants a phone call, don't you think?).

Homemade, home canned dill pickles with dill from our backyard and cukes from somewhere local - I had several different suppliers this past summer.  Homemade ice cream with local cream, milk, and eggs.  Home canned local peaches.

Updated with dill pickle recipe:

Phyllis Rhoades Kosher Dills

Have ready 6 clean quart canning jars.  Wide-mouth is easier to work with.  Have lids and rings hot and ready.

Prepare brine and bring to boil:
1 c. pickling salt
3 quarts water
1 quart cider vinegar

Working with one jar at a time, put in:

1-2 cloves garlic
2 heads of dill (or 1 Tbsp. dill seeds)
hot pepper to taste (I use a slice of jalapeno)
pickling cucumbers, cubed or sliced, fill to top

Pour over boiling hot brine, leaving 1" headspace:

Immediately wipe jar rim, lay on hot lid and screw down with hot ring.  Process in boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes.  Set aside for 12-24 hours  Check for seal.  If a jar did not seal, store in fridge for several weeks.

For long term storage, remove canning ring.  For best flavor, allow to sit in dark cupboard or basement for a month or so before eating.