Marinated vegetables and pickles are a big part of russian/soviet cuisine, used as an every day side dish, or "zakuski" (which means that you eat a marinated tomato right after that small shot of cold vodka). Few people have the time to prepare it themselves nowadays, especially those who live in big cities. Pickles are prepared in a similar manner, and the marinade has a legendary "medicinal" value against hangovers, mainly due to the mineral components that supposedly dissolve in the water during the marination process.
Marinating vegetables at the end of summer is part of the ritual preparation before a long, cold winter. My grandmother used to make huge, 3L jars that she kept in a special dresser under the kitchen window. No need to wait till the summer ends - here's a quick version of marinated tomatoes that will be ready in two days time!
You will need:
a glass jar
a small pot
water
500g cherry or plum tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
10 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
dill
1 teaspoon of vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of salt
1. Before you start, you need to measure how much water you will need for the marinade. Here's a little trick : put all the tomatoes in the jar, and fill it with water. Then pour the water from the jar into the pot. Leave the tomatoes on the side for now.
2. Put all the ingredients except the tomatoes in the pot, and bring the marinade to boil. I strongly advise to taste the marinade and adjust the amount of vinegar and salt to your taste.
3. When the water is boiling, put the tomatoes in it for about a minute or two, until their skin pops. Some people prefer to take the skin off, but it is optional (and if you ask me - a blasphemy), especially when you're using small varieties of tomatoes.
4. Put it all back in the jar, and close the lid, and voila!
5. Keep the jar at room temperature for a day, and pop it in the fridge for another day. On the third day, serve it with oven baked potatoes, or eat as is ;)
