Pickle plots

We are thinking that there needs to be a plan for pickle purchasing... Like, you know, planning your in a pickle foods stops especially in north Texas where the temps have been extremely high (we don't want our pickle peeps scorching out there, gasping for sweet tea, as their parched lips beg for more sassy in a pickle goodness! Yesterday we were soaking in the sunshine at BRIT Botanical Research Institute of Texas bringing it to our local crowd in Fort Worth! And for the next several days we are bringing it to the Dallas Gourmet Market ( yeah that's you wholesaler guys) and no parched lips its 100 % AC! Next week we will see y'all at the White Rock Local Market/Greenspot in Dallas. We are bringing it !!! Local, small batches of goodness... And did we mention extreme tasty jams and pickles... Yeah uh! Power on PICKLE-PEEPS!

Patriotic Pickles

Have you ever wondered what a patriotic pickle would taste like? Well, you're probably thinking... not... and you probably aren't alone... But we here at in a pickle are always coming up with pickle thoughts especially since we are in the kitchen 24-7!

You know...
Patriotism is a cultural attachment to ones homeland and we're pretty attached to the little green gems that got us started , in fact we LOVE our little sweet and spicy gems... Just like we like our little jammy gems as well.... And you too can enjoy our fare of pickles, jams and jellies during your patriotic celebrations or just at down home parties! Every little event turns into a splendiferous one with in a pickle sliders or apple bourbon pie made with iap jam... It makes your mouth zing and sing and soon you'll realize that life's greatest moments happen when your in a pickle!

You can pickle that!

Have a hankering for some pickles, okra or a pickled beet? Join Karen and friends from 9:30 to noon on June 22 at White Rock Lake Market and learn how to pickle your favorites! Students will leave with their own preserves and pickled veggies! The class is $50 or $40 for WRLM members.

Thanks to all he came out last week to NorthPark Dallas for Williams Sonoma's artisan market. Karen was sampling some of our jams and pickles - it was yummy! Check our blog periodically to find out when we do this again.

Our days have been busy in the kitchen stirring our pot to create what our peeps have come to expect: nature's best flavors, handmade in small batches AND whenever it's possible ... local produce- sustainably grown!

Come see us in Dallas this weekend at WRLM/Greenspot and St. Michael's Market...
Our pick for the week... How it all started... Our Original Sweet and Spicy Pickles.

We are in GOOD COMPANY.

Can a giraffe fit in a phone booth? Does a sofa fit in a shopping cart? It all depends on how you size it up in this game of creative thinking and outrageous scenarios. Yep, that's right ... there's an IN A PICKLE game out there...

Looking to try a Zorba Omelet - fresh spinach, ripe chopped tomatoes, sliced black olives and Feta cheese?... Yummy and that's right... it's at the IN A PICKLE restaurant in Waltham, MA...

Or how 'bout Grilled Chicken topped with Goat Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes, and Basil?
Yep you can get that in San Antonio at IN A PICKLE catering!

In Florida, you can have your web page designed by IN A PICKLE webdesign 
or maybe you're having some pickle ponderings 
... artist David Lanham draws us one in his ode to IN A PICKLE 

AND... then of course there's the latest news story from CNN at Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs where a Massachusetts woman ordered a steak-and-cheese sub and was so angry about "too many pickles" on her sandwich she punched the employee who served he, and shoved two jars of pickles at her... as CNN put it.. "The jars shattered and the customer fled -- without the sandwich -- but the brine-covered employee managed to catch up with her and hold her until..." the local police arrived.

Ahh... to be in a pickle.
That's what author Karen Robbins creates in her book entitled ... you guessed it ... In A Pickle

her character Annie Pickels, a 65 year old widowed pickle entrepreneur is in real trouble.... and as the story goes.... "One of her city farmers is growing marijuana on his rented plot of land. Annie, thinking it is marjoram, uses it as a secret ingredient in her pickles."  

Well, that's a new take on pickles!

We hope you'll come out this weekend and try some of our jams and pickles... ummm...

there won't be any of that special marjoram but we'll promise the experience will be

splendiferous!

Stop by and say "hey" this weekend... on Saturday we will be at White Rock Lake Market - Lakeside, Fort Worth Herb Society at 9am and at 10am at the Piney Woods Wine Festival... in Mount Vernon ...find us on Sunday at GECKO Hardware sampling our tastiness in Dallas at 10 am.

And just remember... life's greatest moments begin when you are in a pickle ... OBVIOUSLY!

in a pickle moments for MOM

Well first... we have to give a shout out to all our new pickle peeps in the heart of Texas... the Austin Food and Wine Festival was simply SPLENDIFEROUS!  Thank you Austin... we hope we gave you something to think about when you are in a pickle!

Next up... we are in our own back yard this weekend at BRIT in Fort Worth from 10 to 2 or catch us in Dallas at the White Rock Lake Market Lakeside from 8 to 1 OR drop by St. Michael's Farmer's Market in Dallas from 8 until noon.  Some really wonderful venues folks and we will be there with great little gifts for MOM.  We are only one week away from that special day and why not give her something that will please her palate like in a pickle's strawberry vanilla jam pie...
Here's the recipe enjoy with your MOM...

IN A PICKLE'S STRAWBERRY JAM PIE
 
Ingredients:
3 ounces of dark chocolate pieces, divided
1 TBL butter
1 (9 in) pastry shell, baked
2 pkgs (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream (non fat)
3 TBL sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 to 4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled
1/3 cup iap strawberry vanilla jam, melted

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and 2 oz. of the chocolate pieces over low heat stirring constantly... when mixture has melted brush over and the sides of the pie shell and chill for 30 minutes in fridge.  In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Spread over the pie shell and cover and chill for two hours.  Arrange the fresh strawberries over the filling and brush with the melted jam.  Melt the remaining chocolate pieces and drizzle over the top of the pie.  Yields: 6-8 servings
 
 

Fort Worth Farmer's Market

Wow! The BRIT FORT WORTH FARMER'S MARKET was a delight!

So nice to be in our back yard even Angus enjoyed hangin!

Peep Pack Caddy

The Main Dog

We shared our newest in a pickle PEEP PACK... it's

a caddy for four jars of jam... or mix and match pickles and jams... and there's multi uses for the PEEP PACK too ... like a condiment caddy for those outdoor soirees, ...or put some of your fav spring bulbs in the caddy (we put tulips in ours)... or take your empty in a pickle jars and drop in your favorite votive candle  - slide them into the caddy and now your kickin it with in a pickle... Need a magazine caddy or a mail caddy? - The PEEP PACK is soooo versatile... and who would have thought you could get so much bang for your buck! 

We're lovin' our new PEEP PACKs cause they keep on keepin on, even after your last jar of pickle power is gone (don't forget you can get more pickle goodness on the web or at our many scheduled appearances)... We'll be back at the BRIT next month and we hope to see you Peeps out there... drop by and say "HEY" in Austin, or Dallas...it's Market time and we're on the road spreading our sweet and spicy delights...

Zinging at the BRIT

Jams



Pickles

Life's greatest moments start in a pickle!

FORT WORTH FOODIES UNITE

As the jams, jellies and pickles pop out of our kitchen... we are totally excited about our newest venue ... WE WILL BE IN FORT WORTH at the newly announced BRIT(The Botanical Research Institute of Texas) FARMER'S MARKET... YES!!! CAN'T WAIT!...Every first Saturday of the month we will be back in the Fort!  Pickle Peeps we're there!  10 am - 2 pm  and the inaugural market is April 6 ... SO MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND COME ON OUT!  From sweet and spicy to all things nicey ... we got it!  Try our Strawberry Vanilla Jam ... or our signature Original Sweet and Spicy Pickles - your gonna love 'em.

March brought us to the Salado Wine Festival - what a fun time, and so many new pickle peeps!  We're lovin' it!

March 30 we will be in Grand Prairie at the GPFM (Grand Prairie Farmer's Market... got it?) and April 12 mosey on down to Ballinger, Texas where you will find us at the Petticoats on the Prairie!

It's Spring pickle peeps and we are bursting into the season with seductive sweetness in the form of our artisanal fruit jams and our crowd-pleasing pickles!

Stop by and say, "HI" and try our foodie wares ... because life's greatest moments start in a pickle!

It only takes a really fine jam...

Our week has been jammed pack ... no pun intended.   We have been jammin' for the last few weeks.  First... we had to secure our Louisiana strawberries to make iap's rockin' strawberry vanilla jam.  

The pot's hot...

                                                     

                                                         the cook's hot ...








                         and the jam is READY! 


Find it at fine stores like the Coffee Company... Empire Baking... Bolsa Mercado... Celebration... Green Grocer... Jimmy's Food Store and of course check us out at White Rock Lake Market/Lakeside this Saturday, 9150 Garland Road, Dallas 75218 8am-1pm.  We also just restocked Fort Worth's Vending Nut Company and Arlington's Gene Allen's Gifts.


And for you Florida foodies out there... James finished a batch of iap Orangey Fig JAM for our newest customer ... Datz Delicatessen in Tampa, Florida. That's right iap Orangey Fig JAM to top off pizza! 

 


Thanks Datz for getting figgy with it!



 




Now here's a little figgy recipe from us to you... try it for breakfast with your favorite juice or coffee.


Splendiferous Figgy Morn Granola 

Start with a layer of Granola, add a layer of iap orangey fig jam, chopped walnuts, a layer of crumbled Gorgonzola, a thin layer of vanilla yogurt and then repeat ending with a layer of chopped walnuts.  Splendiferous!

And a shout out to the Dallas Morning News for mentioning us in their little diddy on Dallas-area artisans!
And like our photo says... "Time 2 Dance" Spring is here... dance with us in Austin April 27-28 at the Austin Food & Wine Festival.

Happy Trails!

     We headlined this post with Happy because we truly are blessed and happy to have met so many great folks along this in a pickle journey.   

photo courtesy jill johnson

     As we kick off a new year of Farmer's Markets this month, with what has grown to be one of our fav -  White Rock Local Market, we reflect back on our beginnings and how we started - we can't even begin to tell you how sad we are to know that one of our biggest supporters is not around... 

photo courtesy jill johnson

We lost one of our Westies - Mac, or THE MAC ATTACK as we so fondly called him... last month.   




Although, we mourn - we also know that a part of him will always be with us and that HAPPY is one of those feelings that he helped write in our minds... and going forth there will always be Happy Trails ... 

     So to all of our pickle peeps, our friends, our business partners, those of you who might feel like their in a pickle today ... just know that we wish you Happy Trails this year, and hope that our paths may cross and that our happiness may bring you good feelings as well.

photo courtesy jill johnson

     Look for us at WRLM, 9150 Garland Rd., Dallas TX 75218, Saturday, March 2 from 8am - 1pm ... and the Carrollton Gourmet Food Truck Event "Food Truckin For A Cure"   from 4pm to 9pm... and don't forget April 26-28, the 3-day Austin Food and Wine Festival ... we'll be there!  Happy Trails!

Tasty French Toast from our Peeps

     We are spreading in a pickle love all over the country, and during a recent visit to Alexandria, VA - restaurateur, Trip Howell  and his lovely wife Chris brought our attention to a little nuance to a breakfast favorite.  We liked it soooo much that we thought we'd share... so here it is... an incredible tasty french toast made with Bailey's Irish Cream, yep it adds that little extra... extra... top that off with a few in a pickle touches like our Apple Bourban jam, and a dab of whipped cream and you've got a breakfast that we call a LOVE CONNECTION.  Lovely presentation, Lovely tastes, Love... Love... Love!

FRENCH TOAST

4 eggs
2/3 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
2 tsps of cinnamon
8 thick slices of french bread
Butter
Maple Syrup
in a pickle Apple Bourban Jam

Beat eggs, Bailey's and cinnamon together.  Whisk until well blended and pour into a shallow bowl.  Soak each slice of bread with the mixture allowing the bread to soak .   Melt a small amount of butter over a large skillet on medium high heat.  Brown both sides of the bread slices, flipping the bread as necessary.

Serve hot with butter, maple syrup and a scoop of jam on top!

Check out all of our in a pickle wares at The Dallas Flea, Saturday, April 13 from 9am - 4pm and mark your calendars, April 26-28 at Austin Food and Wine Festival in a pickle foods will be a part of this fun festival.

in a pickle and NEEEEEED SOME LOVE NOW?... call James at 817.584.5835

Sloppy James' Nachos

Okay all you pickle peep fans!!! Have we got a party nacho for you! Our last posts have provided you with a pickle soup with our sweet and spicy delights to make your bowl party SOUPER… we’ve provided you with a BLT dip that will definitely score on Super Bowl day… and drum roll please…
here’s James’ own special nacho recipe that will have your guests rockin’ with splendiferous delight… 



So, whether your partyin’ like a big dog,

Angus, he's more of a college sports fan...

 




or loungin’ like a lizard… 





while you catch the latest Super Bowl commercials and rootin’ for your team…

here it is the RECIPE FOR THE WEEK…



SLOPPY JAMES’ NACHOS…  

INGREDIENTS:
Thick ridged potato chips

Your fav Sloppy Joe recipe (see Rachel Ray’s below)

Shredded cheese

Iap Original sweet & spicy pickles, chopped





PREPARATION:

Place a layer of thick ridged potato chips (We used Lays) on a plate

Add as a second layer the Sloppy Joe mixture

Sprinkle with shredded cheese and

Top with chopped iap Original sweet & spicy pickles.

GO TEAM!

RACHEL RAY’S SLOPPY JOES

1 TBLS extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

1 ¼ pounds ground beef sirloin

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tsp to 1 TBLS steak seasoning blend (like McCormick brand Montreal Seasoning)

1 med. Onion, chopped

1 small red bell pepper, chopped

1 TBLS red wine vinegar

1 TBLS Worchestershire sauce

2 cups tomato sauce

2 TBLS tomato paste

Heat large skillet to medium high heat and add olive oil.

Add meat and combine brown sugar, and steak seasoning, add mixture to meat and stir. When meat has browned add onion and red peppers to the skillet, reduce heat to med and add wine vinegar and Worchestershire …stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and paste, reduce heat and simmer. Cool slightly and pour over chips.

GO TEAM!!!

Don't forget to drop by and say, "hey" at our upcoming venues...

Saturday, April 13 at The Dallas Flea .... 9am - 4pm

and

mark your calendars, April 26-28 at Austin Food and Wine Festival.... 
in a pickle will be there.

BLT dip countdown to Super Bowl

As February 3rd gets closer and Karen laments that she'll have to find another favorite for the Super Bowl since her Cowboys flinched and didn't go the home stretch... Hmmmm the 49ers or the Ravens?... and the question that first comes to mind AFTER choosing a team to root for will be what to serve for the annual Super Bowl Party? If you read our last blog-  pickle soup might a party hit but if you are sticking to simple dips and chips... our BLT dip is sure to be a slam dunk... Oops wrong athletic event... But truly ... this dip is a crowd pleaser no matter what sport!

BLT in a pickle Dip
1 - 16 oz sour cream
1 - lb bacon, fried/baked until crispy and crumbled
1 - cup mayonnaise
1/2 jar of in a pickle tomato jam

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients and serve with corn chips, potato chips or your favorite veggie platter!

Don't forget to drop by and say, "hey" at our upcoming venues...
this Saturday, in Dallas at the Green Grocer grand opening festivities,
Saturday, April 13 at The Dallas Flea .... 9am - 4pm
and
mark your calendars, April 26-28 at Austin Food and Wine Festival.... in a pickle will be there!

Super Bowl Countdown ... Pickle Soup?

Having a few folks over for the Super Bowl?  How 'bout an in a pickle Souper Bowl Party?

Yep we're putting our best products on the 50 yard line and serving them up for our fans.

This week you'll find a recipe that we found called Pickle Soup.  Our test kitchen hasn't tried it out yet but we're going to... so if you dare... punt and try this recipe... go ahead... Let us know if you do!  AND we'll let you know when we serve it up too ... the in a pickle way with our sweet and spicy Originals and our Bread and Butter chunks!  I mean pickle soup... we hear it's a Polish delight.  Any Polish Pickle Peeps out there???

in a pickle Souper Bowl
Ingredients:
3 pork chops on the bone
5 large red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and chunked
2 jars of in a pickle Originals or Bread and Butter chunks, drained (reserve pickle juice)
1 tsp of dried parsley
3 bay leaves
1 tsp sea salt
1 can chicken broth
cream


Boil pork chops in large soup pot until meat falls off the bone, skimming the fat periodically.  When the meat is fully cooked remove the meat and bone and set aside.  Strain the broth removing any remaining fat.  Add the can of chicken broth, potatoes, carrots and pickles and bring to a boil.  Add the dried parsley, bay leaves and sea salt.  Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are tender - Separate the meat into small portions and reintroduce into the soup along with a small amount of pickle juice to taste and enough cream to slightly thicken the mixture.  Bon appetit pickle peeps!


Check out our newest venue in Dallas at the new neighborhood market the Green Grocer.