This is one of those recipes that I kept seeing over. and over. and over again. Until finally I went out and bought the ingredients to make it! If any of you are on Pinterest (you can find me here), you’ve probably seen it, too. Refrigerator Dill Pickles.

I love fresh dill. And I love cucumbers. These ones looked amazing. I’ve never had pickles that weren’t canned; I’ve only even known the slight soggyness of the pickles that come in jars. But these? They’re fresh. Crunchy. Crisp. A little sweet. And they’re soaked in an amazing vinegar dill brine. And guess what? They’re EASY to make. No canning. No complicated recipes. Just a few simples ingredients, and throw it in a jar. I adapted the original recipe to make it simpler (because I’m all about short cuts!) I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Recipe:

3 cups distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp of pickling spice (or 1 tsp each of mustard, coriander, and dill seeds)
2 cups hot water
2 pounds pickling cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 bunch of chopped fresh dill
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Combine your vinegar, sugar, salt, and pickling spice in a large bowl. Pour the hot water over the vinegar mixture, and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
Chop your cucumbers into ¼ inch slices, and divide them into jars (mine fit perfectly into 3 quart size jars). Chop the dill and the garlic, and divide it evenly between your jars.
Pour the cooled brine over the cucumbers. If the brine doesn’t quite cover the cucumbers, add more water/vinegar mixture (I just mixed 1 part water to 1 part vinegar).
Place the jars in the fridge overnight.
They’re ready to eat after 24 hours, and will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks.

This is one of my summertime favorites. It’s fragrant and delicious, with flavors that just scream “summer”. And it’s such a simple recipe, with only a few ingredients.
This year my mom bought me a potted basil plant. Every couple weeks it gets enough fresh leaves on it that I can make a new dish.

I made this one for the first time this summer, and it’s better than I remember it! I’ve been using this recipe for a few years now, tweaking it here and there. I think I’ve finally gotten it to perfection.

Recipe:
A loaf of crusty bread (or 2 crusty baguettes)
5 vine ripe tomatoes
1 cup of basil leaves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic powder to taste
Salt to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Slice your bread into 1 inch cubes, and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, and bake for 5-8 minutes. You want them to be crisp (so they don’t get soggy in the salad).
Sprinkle the bread cubes with garlic powder and let cool.
Slice your tomatoes into bite size pieces (usually I make them slightly smaller than the bread chunks).
Chiffonade your basil by stacking 3-4 leaves, rolling them into a log, and slicing them into strips.
In a large bowl, toss together your cooled bread chunks, tomato, and basil leaves. Salt to taste.
Add an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil while tossing (if preferred).
This recipe tastes best when left to sit in the fridge for a few hours. The flavors meld together perfectly.