[Week 23] Pickled Vegetables on Everything

Hello Farm Share Friends!

Last week’s arrival of carrots, daikon, and cilantro had me craving bánh mi, the Vietnamese sandwich typically loaded with pork, pâté, pickled vegetables, herbs, chilies, and condiments.

Several years ago, I made a tofu variation from Cook’s Science, and the exercise made me realize it wasn’t the richness of the meat that made the sandwich for me — it was all the fixins’: the pickled carrots and daikon, the mayonnaise, the sliced jalapeños, and the generous scattering of fresh cilantro.

Curious as to how the bánh mi elements might fare in a collard green wrap, I gave it a go this week. I’ve long found collard green wraps to be visually enticing and appetizing, but even so I had low expectations. It won’t be the same, I thought. I will miss the bread.

But friends, I am a convert! After making one wrap, I found myself looking forward to them in the days that followed. It was such a treat having a stash of the wraps in the fridge, and, moreover, blanching the collard greens extended their shelf life. I find collard green leaves start to yellow within a few days of bringing them home, but blanching them preserved their vibrancy for the week.

Here’s how it went down: first, I made the wraps following Clean Foodie Cravings guide, which calls for shaving away the thick stem or removing it altogether:

Blanch the greens for 30 seconds:

Then transfer to an ice bath:

Drain, dry, and store in the fridge for up to a week or put them to use immediately:

As noted, I was craving bánh mi, so first I quickly pickled the carrots and daikon:

Toss thinly sliced carrots and daikon with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons vinegar. Let stand for 10 minutes. (Incidentally, this batch lasted for about 3 days in the fridge and would have lasted longer had I not used it all up.)

Ready to roll! Kewpie mayonnaise, marinated and pan-fried tofu, shredded and briefly salted purple cabbage (from the farm share), pickled carrots and daikon, and cilantro.

Friends! I was shocked by how delicious it all was, and I attribute 90% of the deliciousness to the pickled carrots and daikon, which provide crunch, bite, and a touch of sweetness.

I also made one with leftover grilled chicken:

And though I didn’t snap a