August 14, 2011

Weekend affairs & lightly pickled carrots


Some of you may know that we are looking for a new home. I think I've already expressed my frustration a few times on Twitter and my apologies for all the ranting I sometimes do on the subject. It is never an easy task to find a new place and in a city like Sydney, it's a huge investment you need to consider carefully. We have inspected so many places in recent months I have lost count of them all and we don't seem to be any closer to finding anything soon. The whole process is frustrating to say the least!

Experimenting with new colour schemes for my desk...
So after our Saturday morning home hunting (which again was, you guess it, not successful), I sank my frustration into some other things - ironing, re-organising my little desk (once again), and making these easy pickled carrots. There is some strange consolation I find in the everyday tinkering and what could possible be more homely than pickling? Perhaps we'll find that new home one day, after all.



Pickled carrot and ginger
(Recipe adapted from Everyday Harumi)

450g carrot
50g fresh ginger

200ml water
150ml brown rice vinegar
3 tablespoons raw caster sugar
2 teaspoons sea salt

1. In a small saucepan, bring the water to boil. Turn off the heat, then add in brown rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Set aside to cool.

2. Cut the carrots and the ginger into small matchsticks. Put them into small (clean) jars or one bigger one and pour the pickling vinegar on top. These can be kept refrigerated for up to one week.

Posted by Maria
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35 comments:

  1. Jennifer14 August 2011 at 14:39

    Wow, your photography is stunning! The carrots look wonderful. I love how they're matchsticks!

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  2. leaf (the indolent cook)14 August 2011 at 15:27

    Love how you've packaged them - so fresh and rustic!

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  3. Mairi@Toast14 August 2011 at 16:18

    Beautiful photos Maria. Love a little pickle and these look fantastic, fresh & bright with a little heat from the ginger,,,,yum :) Good luck with the house hunting :)

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  4. Domestic Executive14 August 2011 at 16:23

    I've become a total pickling nut and now I have another crop I will be snaffling away for later. That is of course when I can get my early carrots in the ground after the snow disappears.

    Hope the house hunting reaps the reward you're looking for soon.

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  5. raspberry essence14 August 2011 at 18:53

    Oh i hope you find your dreamy & cosy home, it´s always a difficult decision but i´m sure you will get there :)
    i love the colors in your first pic, they look beautiful in your desk :)

    have a lovely sunday,

    Sílvia

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  6. Rosa's Yummy Yums14 August 2011 at 19:13

    That is an interesting way of preparing carrots!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  7. Sarah (Snippets of Thyme)14 August 2011 at 23:13

    Looking for a home in Sydney sure does seem daunting. Don't feel bad looking at so many. When we moved to Houston, Texas, we must have looked at 50 - 60 homes. Our poor realtor. My husband is mentioning Perth, Australia as one of several potential moves for us. Any feedback you have on Perth would be so appreciated! It seems so far!

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  8. Sophie Delphis15 August 2011 at 00:49

    The carrots and their packaging look wonderful.

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  9. Lalla15 August 2011 at 03:41

    Ooh, I really want to get one of Harumi's books. This sounds lovely. How would you eat these carrots? I was thinking a beef stir fry might be nice...

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  10. Will @ Bright.Bazaar15 August 2011 at 05:11

    We only moved recently and so I totally understand what you are going through! Have my fingers crossed you'll find somewhere soon :)

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  11. la domestique15 August 2011 at 05:13

    Pickled carrots are tasty and so pretty! I'm sorry for your frustration in trying to find a new home. The right place is waiting for you, I know it!

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  12. tasteofbeirut15 August 2011 at 05:29

    what a lovely jar of pickled carrots! Will try this to go with the shawarma sandwiches instead of the pickled cucumbers!

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  13. Dawn15 August 2011 at 05:39

    I will cross my fingers that you find something soon. I know it is not easy. In the mean time at least you have beautiful carrots!

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  14. Maris (in Good Taste)15 August 2011 at 06:43

    Your photography is just amazing! Hang in there and you will find a home.

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  15. Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen15 August 2011 at 07:43

    What a nice simple recipe, sorry to hear you are having such a tough time finding the right place, I know how frustrating that can be. Good luck!

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  16. Peggy15 August 2011 at 08:01

    The right home will come when you least expect it! I just pickled some carrots not too long ago, and they were the perfect condiment for some asian-inspired tacos - your carrots look beautiful and I love the touch of ginger =)

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  17. Jennifer (Delicieux)15 August 2011 at 10:27

    I love carrots and love pickles, but have never tried pickled carrots. I will have to try this.

    I hope you find a new home soon, I know how horrible house hunting is.

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  18. girlleastlikely15 August 2011 at 10:41

    I've never pickled anything before. This looks so delicious and not at all as hard as I thought it would be!

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  19. Katie@Cozydelicious15 August 2011 at 10:44

    These carrots look amazing! And little organizing tasks do make a frustrating day seem better, don't they?

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  20. catty15 August 2011 at 15:20

    Don't worry you will find a new home soon.. or maybe we can be frustrated with house hunting together :)

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  21. Angie's Recipes15 August 2011 at 15:33

    Simple pickles can go a long way...I love them as an appetizer, to mix in the salads, or even as a snack...yours look absolutely tempting with all the evenly sliced matchsticks.
    Good luck with the new home hunting..and try to relax..(well, I know it's easier said than done)

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  22. Sneh | Cook Republic15 August 2011 at 15:43

    This looks like an easy pickle to make. I must try this! Would be delicious with golden, flaky flatbreads! Hang in there, your dream house is out there!

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  23. Eha15 August 2011 at 15:56

    I'll try the recipe tomorrow - oh, meanwhile, after my own day I would rather forget, your beautiful photos somehow centred me again . . .

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  24. Esther @ "Keep Calm and Cook More"15 August 2011 at 16:49

    Absolutely love any vegetable pickled! I'm so giving these a go! Thankyou!

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  25. Kitchen Belleicious15 August 2011 at 21:46

    What a great idea to do carrots. I have never seen carrots pickled by themselves, always with another vegetable or vegetables but I love carrots with this sweetness and tangy taste. Its a must do!

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  26. Linda15 August 2011 at 23:50

    I don't envy you the having to find a new home. Must you leave Sydney? What is Adelaide like? I hope that wherever you land, it's got healthy soil and a garden with fruit trees, a sweet place where to be for a cozy nook in the shade, and the vibrational quality of an inspired life.
    These pickled carrots look like a good thing to can and stock.

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  27. Anonymous16 August 2011 at 00:55

    Pickled carrots sound excellent I like the addition of ginger. Good luck with finding a new home, it's certainly not an easy task.

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  28. Nami | Just One Cookbook16 August 2011 at 08:40

    I hear your frustration. We went through the similar frustration when we were looking our current home. You will know when you find the one (just like husband LOL). If you plan to live long, then it's worth the time to look around. We lived in condo for 1 year without realizing that we needed a bigger place and that was waste of time and money. Good luck! Now your lightly pickled carrots look simple and tasty! And I love your experimenting with color...trying to learn something from what you did. LOL!

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  29. Nic@diningwithastud16 August 2011 at 09:36

    The carrots look amazing! Good luck in finding a place - its a long road but once you haveone, its totally worth it. I'd do it all over again :)

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  30. Anonymous16 August 2011 at 09:54

    Thanks for the recipe, I can picture myself munching into these carrots in the near future.

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  31. Faith16 August 2011 at 22:53

    Pickling is indeed such a comforting thing to do...good luck with the house hunt!

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  32. Cocoo16 August 2011 at 23:59

    Oh I loooove pickled carrots....actually I love anything pickled :) cute jars!

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  33. chinmayie @ love fod eat17 August 2011 at 01:50

    I can eat that right off the jar! I love carrots!

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  34. The Cilantropist18 August 2011 at 08:03

    I would love to have some pickled carrots, and what better way to take out your frustration than with chopping all those veggies. ;) I love the color schemes for your desk too - this fall I am planning a makeover of my desk/office area... also trying to find a new place... sort of a life makeover you could say. tee hee. I can understand your angst in not finding anywhere, but hopefully the search is still exciting and your new place could be just around the corner!

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  35. Hannah20 August 2011 at 03:54

    I've started pickling more this summer and love it! It really is such cozy, homey thing to do. Good luck with finding a new home...the right one will come along. Lovely photos! :)

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