Pickled Asparagus

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Linda from Naples assures us that this is not a true food funny:

One year at thanksgiving, my mom went to my sister's' house for the
traditional feast. Knowing how gullible my sister is, my mom decided to
play a trick. She told my sister that she needed something from the store.

When my sister left, my mom took the turkey out of the oven, removed the
stuffing, stuffed a Cornish hen, and inserted it into the turkey, and
re-stuffed the turkey. She then placed the birds back in the oven. When
it was time for dinner, my sister pulled the turkey out of the oven and
proceeded to remove the stuffing. When her serving spoon hit something,
she reached in and pulled out the little bird.

With a look of total shock on her face, my mother exclaimed, "Patricia,
you've cooked a pregnant bird!" At the reality of this horrifying news,
my sister started to cry. It took the family two hours to convince her
that turkeys lay eggs.

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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Try serving these as an appetizer wrapped in a slice of ham or
prosciutto, or serve them as is along with sandwiches.

Pickled Asparagus

1 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 - 4 lbs (1.5 - 2 Kg) fresh asparagus
1 red bell pepper (capsicum), seeded and cut into thin strips
5 cups (1.25 L) white wine vinegar
2 cups (500 ml) water
4 Tbs (60 ml) sugar
4 Tbs (60 ml) pickling spices
2 tsp (10 ml) pickling or kosher salt

Place several slices of onion in the bottom of two 1-quart (1 L) jars.
Trim the asparagus to fit in the jars and pack them in cut end down.
Place pepper strips in between asparagus. Combine the remaining
ingredients in a saucepan and boil over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
Pour into the jars, leaving 1/2 inch (1 cm) head space. Seal the jars
according to the manufacturer's directions and process for 20 minutes in
a boiling water bath.
Makes 2 quarts (2 L).
Received on Tue Nov 25 18:15:34 2008