Brined pickles are easy to make, delicious, and good for you. The fermentation process increases vitamins and healthful enzymes, and they're probiotic, too!

Cucumbers with dill are the most traditional pickle in the US, but nearly any vegetable and herb mixture will work. (Ripe tomatoes are too soft, and I wouldn't try raw potatoes, but we've had good success with every other veggie we've tried so far.)

This recipe makes a great taco filling, a side to rice and beans, or a salad to go with grilled fish or meats. It takes quick pickled onions and adds two root-cellar staples: cabbage and carrots. Change the seasoning to complement your recipe - you could use bay leaves and peppercorns or herbs de provence instead of the spices listed here, for example.

These are ready in about an hour, though they improve overnight, and last for several weeks in the fridge. They’re good on salads, on top of burgers, or as a side dish with roast chicken.

So it's the end of February, and we've got a pile of rutabagas about the size of my head still in the cold cellar (which is actually a slightly retrofitted refrigerator), as well as a big pile of carrots that are starting to think about getting a little bendy. These pickles are just the thing.