Pickletinis sound awesome to you too, huh?

Want to make your own? Here’s how.

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 2 oz. gin or vodka good quality vodka
• 1/2 oz. Dry vermouth or white wine
• 2 oz. chilled dill pickle juice (or be adventurous and use juice from spicy pickles or green beans!)
• 2 pickles, chopped or speared for garnish

Fill ice about half way up the cocktail shaker. Add gin or vodka (I prefer vodka), vermouth and pickle juice. Shake and strain into two martini glasses. Garnish and enjoy.

Health note: pickle juice and vinegar aren’t especially stomach- friendly. Practice pickletinis in moderation.

[box type=”info”]This recipe is adapted from the four-star dirty pickle recipe on foodnetwork.com.[/box]

So you’ve grown your herbs but you’re not a great or creative cook? This recipe is easy and delicious and will make everyone ever love you.

Cowboy Caviar, an oddly named bean dish that doesn’t actually contain any caviar, is a perfect dip for tortilla chips, but can also be eaten on its own. It calls for plenty of herbs and canned vegetables. You don’t have to use canned vegetables if you’d prefer to use fresh ones and you don’t have to grow your own herbs, but the dish will taste better if you use fresh herbs and canned veggies.

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
• 15 oz. canned kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 roma tomatoes, pulp removed and diced
• 1 can whole corn kernels
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 avocados, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup Italian salad dressing (recipe below)

Mix all ingredients except the dressing into a large bowl. Refrigerate while you make the dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. onion powder
• 1 tbsp. white sugar
• 2 tbsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tbsp. dried parsley
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup olive oil

Whisk ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

[box type=”info”]This italian dressing and other great recipes can be found at thewaytohisheart.wordpress.com.[/box]

—
Photos: Jenna Mann & Raisa Pezderic/The Sheaf