Summer Veggies: Banana Peppers & Caprice Kabobs

It is summer veggie time and I am always on the lookout on ways to use the delicious fruits and vegetables I get from the Lowes Foods Carolina Crate and from my very own garden (which is doing quite nicely). This week I made some caprice kabobs with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, basil, and mozzarella. My kids seem to really enjoy anything with basil and tomatoes, so these were a good treat for them. And for me. I used bamboo skewers, but I might look into getting some skewers that I can use over & over again. If you have any that you would suggest, please let me know by leaving a comment. I did kick them up a notch by adding some tangerine infused balsamic vinaigrette that I had on hand from The Crushed Olive. Delicious! My next quest was finding something to do with all of my banana peppers...

I had these five delicious banana pepper in my CSA and decided to go ahead and preserve them so we can use them on salad and sandwiches for the rest of the season. These five banana peppers fit perfectly into a pint jar.

I like to cut them in half and scoop out the seed with a paring knife. This works easiest for me. After I cut up the banana peppers, I prepared the brine. Since I was only making a pint of banana peppers, I used the following recipe for the brine:
-2 Cups white vinegar
-2/3 cup of sugar
-1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed
-1/2 teaspoon of celery salt (you can use celery seed too)
*Bring those ingredients to a boil & then pour over your sliced banana peppers leaving a 1/2" to 3/4" at the top. Put the metal ring and lid on tight. I also like to use the disposable labels to write what they are and when they were preserved for food safety purposes. I recommend giving them at least a week to chill in the fridge in their flavor bath before eating them. They're good in your fridge for 1-2 years after opening, but I doubt they will make it that long. Happy Eating!

The Brine