Pepin's Pickled Vegetables

I loved The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen, and made my first decent roast chicken and then stock from La Technique, so I like looking for Jacques Pepin's other cookbooks in the library (I always preview cookbooks before purchasing). This time I found his Simple and Healthy Cooking.

We've been trying to eat a little healthier around here, and browsing through, pickles seems like they could be a nice quick savory snack (and healthier than say Harvest Cheddar SunChips). The vegetable pickles were so pretty, and looked so easy, that we made a family trip to the grocery store picking out all our favorite veg.

We made a half recipe and made a few changes. I left out what we couldn't find (juniper berries and fresh tarragon) and didn't prefer (fennel and zucchini). We really liked them, and we're on the second batch already. These will be a nice, easy standard recipe for quick pickles.

Adapted from Jacques Pepin's Pickled Vegetables in Simple and Healthy Cooking
6 oz carrots
6 oz cauliflower
6 oz red bell pepper
4 oz turnip
2 oz green beans
6 cloves garlic
2 1/2 c water
1 c distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 TB salt
1 1/2 TB sugar
6 whole cloves
1/2 tsp allspice berries

Makes 1 qt and 1 pint jar. Cut all in sticks or florets. Thinly slice garlic. Pack veg in jars (alternating to make it pretty if you want...and which we skipped).
Bring water, vinegar, salt, sugar, cloves, and allspice to a boil, and boil gently 5 min. Pour liquid to cover the veg in the jars.