Pickled Mixed Veg Salad

I have a cook book that is one of three that I would grab if the house was on fire,a book so dog eared it should be able to bark by now."Please to the Table,the Russian Cook Book" by Anya von Bremzen adn John Welchman is filled with delicious food,notes about Russian life and a recipe for any occasion. I must have 12 pages marked with tabs because I use them so often and pages stained from many days worth of cooking. Soups, meats,vegetables,dumplings, noodles,breads and desserts oh my! There is even a chapter From the Pantry listing sides to go with your meals. If you are looking for an interesting book with a new venue of food check this one out.Sadly the price has gone up since I bought mine many moons ago but it is worth every penny.I have yet to find a bad recipe in this gem.
Today I am going to share with you a recipe I make often and like when there's so many fresh veggies around.It's a Pickled Mixed Vegetable Salad that can easily be adjusted for your tastes in vegetables and spice. I always keep the cabbage in the recipe since it is the base of it.I have used beets before and unpeeled cucumber.I have also used semi-ripe tomatoes and other colors of bell peppers.Depending on who I am feeding I have also monkeyed around with the chili pepper amount or I have left it out.I find that the salad is best the second day,this time allows the vinegar to pickle the veggies and gives the garlic time to open as well. I hope you will try it and enjoy it.

Pickled Mixed Vegetable Salad from "Please to the Table"

1 medium sized green cabbage shredded
2Tablespoons Kosher or other coarse salt
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup White Vinegar
12 black pepper corns I have just used plenty of pepper from my shaker.
1Tablespoon Sugar
1 Large Carrot peeled and cut to julienne
3 Medium sized Red Bell Peppers,cored seeded and julienne
2 Onions sliced thinly
2 Green Tomatoes seeded and diced
2 small dried hot chili peppers chopped. Or you could use a bit of crushed chilies.
3 whole cloves of Garlic sliced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil.

In a bowl toss the cabbage with the salt and let stand one hour.
Meanwhile in a non reactive sauce pan combine,water,vinegar,pepper corns and sugar.Bring to a boil and then let cool.
The salt in the bowl of cabbage will have pulled some of the cabbages liquids out.Drain and squeeze the liquid out.Now add the Carrot,bell peppers,onions and tomatoes.Add the chilies and garlic.Toss well.
Add the oil to the marinade and toss with the veggies.Let stand for one hour.
From here the book says to place the salad in a sterilized 2 quart jar, seal with a lid and put it in the fridge.I don't always do this step,if I know we are eating it that day or the next I put the salad in a covered bowl and cover with whatever I have handy.I think the sterilized jar is for when you might be keeping the salad longer but the book dose not say how long it will keep.One of my canning projects is to figure out how to can this salad like a Chow Chow.
Rois