Pickled Cherry Tomatoes (courtesy The Culinary Institute of America)

I know a southerner isn't supposed to say this, but I hate fresh tomatoes.
I have tried to like them, really I have. But there's something in that watery, slightly sweet acidic tang that just triggers my gag reflex. When I eat tomatoes, they must be buried in something concealing, or cooked through.

Having acquainted you with that fact, I can tell you that it is with some skepticism that I stood at the back of a small audience at the local farmers market and learned from the visiting Culinary Institute of America chef (who had an odd accent) that I could pickle cherry tomatoes. Though they handed out tidy copies of the recipe printed on card stock, it is doubtful that I would have tried it had they not also handed out pickle samples. As I cautiously bit into my messy portion of tomato-topped grilled crostini, my palate came alive with a sensational contrast of sweet, sour, and savory. Turmeric, cumin, and mustard stood out on Team Savory, while ginger and mild rice vinegar provided what many Food Network celebrities are fond of referring to as "brightness". I realized, immediately, that this was a recipe I must try at home, for these squishy red orbs of flavor could be sprinkled on anything (much like bacon).

You will need:

vegetable oil
1 lb cherry tomatoes
ice water

4 oz rice vinegar
1/2 Tbsp Kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 bunch green onion, sliced
chopped jalapeno, to taste
1 Tbsp garlic, sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp mustard seed, black or yellow
1/2 Tbsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1/2 Tbsp cumin, ground
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp turmeric, ground

Blanching: You'll need enough oil in a pan to blanch the tomatoes. Oil temperature should be 400 deg F. Carefully place the tomatoes in the oil, just long enough to blanch.

Shocking: Remove blanched tomatoes from oil and place them immediately in the ice water.

Pickle-prep: Peel the skins from the cooled tomatoes. Place tomatoes on a towel to remove oil and water, then into a heat-safe storage container.

Brine: Bring vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Add brown sugar and salt and stir to dissolve. Turn off the heat.

Perk up those spices: In a pan (I use the same one used for blanching, but wiped out) heat 4 oz oil to almost smoking. Basically, when you look at the oil and think to yourself, "yep, that's screaming hot," it's time to add the spices. They are probably going to crackle a bit. Keep stirring them, until your sinuses start to open from the aroma. This will take less than a minute.

Bringing it together: As soon as you smell the spices, remove the pan from heat and pour the vinegar mixture over the oil. Pour this over the tomatoes.

Eat it: Now, or later! These can marinate in the fridge for a week, according to the recipe card (although I'm pretty sure I kept mine a little longer, cough cough). They are great on:

Crostini (duh),
Salads,
Sandwiches,
and probably many other things, like omelets, potatoes, cow peas, ocra, who knows what all!

Ok, some tips: Approach this recipe as would a good chemist - Read the whole recipe before beginning. Get together your ingredients, in as few containers as possible, before you turn on any heat (especially the spices, which you can prep ahead of time). Have stations ready for each step (oil pan, vinegar pan, ice water, draining towel, etc). Wear an apron.

I use a large perforated spoon with a long handle to blanch, because there will likely be some fireworks when the water in the tomatoes suddenly evaporates from the rapid change in temperature. If you have a splatter screen, you might use that, too. If you are using a small-ish pan, blanch in batches so the temperature of the oil doesn't drop too much.

If you are working in batches, DO NOT get the transfer spoon wet as you move tomatoes between the hot oil and the ice water. Fireworks, remember?

As with many recipes, you can alter this one to suit your taste or your stock of spices! I have reduced the amounts of spices, substituted spices, and followed the recipe exactly all with good results.