GAME-DAY SALSA

Autumn brings the convergence of two camps: gardeners and football fans. Your tomatoes are ripening while your alma mater is taking the field, creating the perfect conditions for game-day salsa. Here’s the call: chop the tomatoes, throw them in a food processor with some spicy pickles (such as Duker’s Dills Hot Pickles), salt, cilantro and lime to taste and blend away. This spicy option will be a huge score with your friends.

Makes: 3 servings

3 cups tomato juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

½ tablespoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon hot sauce

1 ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 lime wedges

½ teaspoon salt per drink

1 ½ oz. Crater Lake Pepper Vodka per drink

Assorted Pickles

Mix together first seven ingredients in one container. Set aside. Using a lime wedge, rim 3 highball glasses. Dip rims in salt. Fill highball glasses with ice. Pour vodka in each glass. Fill remainder (to ¾ inch from top) with tomato mixture. Stuff remaining space with Oregon pickles.

BRUNCH IN A GLASS

Making the perfect Bloody Mary at home can be elusive. Fortunately, these Oregon companies put perfection in reach with Crater Lake Pepper Vodka (bendistillery.com), Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce (secretaardvark.com), and Oregon pickles (try a mix of brands and flavors, roughly chopped and skewered—the pickle-kebob makes a great stir stick).

Makes: 2 cups

1 pound organic heirloom tomatoes, diced

4 scallions, diced

1 cup diced pickles (assorted mix of hot pickles)

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

2 teaspoons cracked black peppercorns

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Dash of favorite hot sauce

In a large bowl, toss first three ingredients. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring vinegar to a medium boil. Add sugar and salt, and cook until dissolved (about 1 minute). Remove from heat and set aside. In another medium saucepan, heat oil over moderate heat until just smoking. Add all spices and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until aromas are released (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and combine with vinegar mixture and hot sauce. Pour over reserved tomato mixture. Stir to combine, cover, and refrigerate 3 hours.

Prominant Picklers
Check out these tasty picks from around Oregon

UNBOUND PICKLING
Portland | unboundpickling.com
1859 Pick: Pickled Beets

PRETTY PICKLE COMPANY
Salem | prettypickles.com
1859 Pick: Spicy Dill Pickled Garlic

BAUMGARDNER PICKLING COMPANY
Woodburn | baumgardnerpicklingcompany.com
1859 Pick: Regular Dill Pickles

DUKER’S DILLS
Portland | ourfavoritefoods.net
1859 Pick: Hot Pickles (Assorted Veggies)