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Countertop dill pickles

'Tis the season to get to a farmstand, farmers market, or your own garden: the cucumbers have arrived! With them, there will be fresh dill weed. And that means pickles, the crunchy half-sours that go with everything you cook on the grill. These pickles could not be easier to make, and once packed into jars, they will keep in the fridge for several weeks. That, of course, is only a theory, as in my kitchen they never seem to last that long.

COUNTERTOP DILL PICKLES

If your cucumbers are large or you have more than 18 small ones -- the best for this recipe are 6-8 inches, often called Kirby or pickling cucumbers -- double this recipe. You need to have enough brine to cover the cucumbers completely. Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook, and from The Perfect Pantry.

Ingredients

12-18 pickling cukes 
1 large clove garlic
big hunk of fresh dill
1/4 tsp dill seed (optional)
1 heaping tsp pickling spice (the blend -- has allspice, bay, etc.)
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup white vinegar
2-1/2 quarts water

Directions

Clean the cukes. Smash the unpeeled garlic (no need to peel it). Place cukes, garlic, dill, dill seed and pickling spice in a large bowl.

In a pot, place kosher salt, white vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pour this hot brine over the cukes, and weight down with a plate and something to keep the cukes submerged. Leave on the counter for at least one day, and up to two days, then refrigerate in the brine.

Swan Lake

My friend Phyllis, a lifelong balletomane, shared this video of the most stunning piece of the most acrobatic Swan Lake you'll ever see, performed by the Grand Chinese State Circus. I liked it, I think Tchaikovsky would have liked it, and I hope you'll like it, too.

Congress Cards

Here’s something you can do any time, all year round, and you don’t even need a pen or Sharpie. Congress Cards sends postcards on your behalf to your legislators about issues like Supreme Court reform, gun reform, reproductive justice, Green New Deal, John Lewis Voting Rights Act, Medicare for All, USPS/vote by mail, immigration justice, Black Lives Matter, AAPI justice. You don’t have to write the postcards yourself, and half of the cost of the cards is donated to on-the-ground nonprofit organizations. Postcards are only $2 each; $1 goes to the cause. Choose the card design you like best; use or edit a message they suggest, or create your own. Select which of your legislators should receive a Congress Card (Senate, House, Biden/Harris). Send one or send more, and support the causes that resonate with you.

Worldle

My husband Ted and my cousin Martin are big into Worldle, a variation of the viral online word game Wordle that started this particular craze. Wordle grew so fast that The New York Times bought it earlier this year. Worldle tests your knowledge of geography; the object of the game is to guess the country, city, or territory depicted in black. Guess once, and if you're not correct, you'll get clues that tell you how far away you are, and in which general direction you should be looking. If you like this sort of guessing game, try Nerdle, a numbers version, or Heardle, a modern iteration of Name That Tune. If you need even more of a challenge, then Absurdle might be the perfect mind-blower for you. 

Sunsets

My husband Ted's first office in Boston looked to the west, over Beacon Hill and Back Bay and the Public Garden and Cambridge, past the old John Hancock Building with its weather beacon, along the Charles River to the iconic Citgo sign in Kenmore Square and beyond. When we moved to our current apartment, he wanted to have that view again, forty-some years later, and so we do. The sunsets amaze, delight and bless us with their brilliance. (iPhone photo taken through the window, no filter. Please excuse the reflections.)