Firecrackers

Another pickle recipe from Alton Brown, these Firecrackers start out with a sweet flavor, but kick you in the pants before you're through!

Ingredients
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. chili flakes
2 dried chilies

Directions
Place carrots in a spring top glass jar or standard canning jar. Bring water, sugar, cider vinegar, onion powder, mustard seeds, salt and chili flakes to a boil in a non-reactive saucepan. Boil for 4-5 minutes. Slowly pour the hot pickling liquid over the carrots, filling the jar to the top. Place the chilies in the jar. Allow the carrots to cool before sealing. Refrigerate for two days and up to one week.

Autumn Veggie Pizza

Pizza is one of my favorite ways to use up leftovers in the fridge. Last night, I was working with a butternut squash, goat cheese and onions... here's what I came up with!

Ingredients
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
4 oz. chevre goat cheese
1 bunch of fresh sage
1 handful of pecans
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 large onion, carmelized
prepared pizza dough
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, to taste
ground nutmeg, to taste

Directions
Coat the squash with kosher salt, freshly ground pepper and olive oil. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, turning over halfway through. Bake the pizza dough about halfway (according to package instructions). In the meantime, create a "pesto" using sage, pecans and olive oil, combining in a Magic Bullet or small food processor. Spread pesto on half-baked dough, follow with crumbled goat cheese, carmelized onions and roasted squash. Finish baking pizza, sprinkle nutmeg to taste. Makes one pizza.