[Urbane Guerrilla]

Military Pickle

Woot! Dead-tree comes through where the 'Net forbore to tread! The Kenya Cookery Book and Household Guide, 1928 (twelfth ed., 1958) has this for

Military Pickle (and remarks)

1 marrow, fair sized (zucchini or other long squash)
1 lb (500g) cauliflower florets, left so you can appreciate that it's cauliflower
1 lb (500g) French beans (haricots? green beans? both?)
7 chile peppers (presumably fresh, green or ripe)
1 oz (30g) ginger, chopped fine or minced
1 1/4 C flour (the Brit-ism has it 1 breakfast cup, 1.2 C/284ml) -- scanted
1 cucumber
1 lb (500g) onions
1 lb (500g) sugar
2 quarts/up to 2.5L vinegar (conversion seems in error here, perhaps a maximum amount is intended to be given -- well, this ain't rocket surgery)
1 oz (30g) turmeric powder

salt to draw -- almost like brining
Chef knife, saucepan, jars/lids

Cut vegetables small, cover with the salt, leave for 12 hours then drain. Put veggies into saucepan, add vinegar, boil 6 min. Mix powdered ingredients to a smooth paste (in a little vinegar, I suppose) and add to veggies while they boil. Boil or simmer all together for 30 min at least, stirring frequently to prevent any burning.

Put into jars, put up as in canning: sterilization procedures and all. Apparently usable at once, no doubt some nuances come with ageing. Said to be damn fine with strong Cheddar... or say, Wensleydale, a crumbly, somewhat sour cheese in quite the English style.

I still keep imagining mechanized troops exercising on Salisbury Plain with their tanks and AFVs, pulling up for a lunch of rations adorned with Military Pickle, and enjoying a great boost of morale thereby.