Heirloom vegetables are the collectables of the horticultural set. Amy Goldman has collected and preserved these antiques from the earth for over 10 years. She says that heirloom vegetables are the best of the past - the vegetables that have stood the test of time and been cultivated by farmers for taste, natural pest resistance and strength, unlike the hothouse hybrids that are grown by enormous conglomerate farms that are bred for quantity and the bottom line. She came by to show me how to make a recipe from her book: The Compleat Squash, a Passionate Growers Guide. It's called chow chow - a delicious pickled relish:

You'll need:

-4 cups minced zucchini or summer squash
-1 1/2 cups chopped onion
-3/4 cup minced red bell pepper
-3/4 cup minced green bell pepper
-1 1/2 Tbs. pickling salt

Pickling solution:

-2 cups apple cider vinegar
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp. celery seed
-1 tsp mustard seed
-1 tsp dry mustard
-1 tsp ground ginger
-1 tsp turmeric

Combine all chopped vegetables in a bowl with the salt and allow the salt to draw the moisture from them. Squeeze out the excess moisture and drain. Combine all pickling solution ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for a few minutes, then add your chopped vegetables to the pickling solution and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove your vegetables to sterile canning jars and once sealed place in the fridge for up to 3 months.

It's delicious in sandwiches, as a tapenade on hors d'oeuvres, or as a relish with hot dogs.

You can find seeds for heirloom vegetables at Seed Savers Exchange. They have heirloom seeds for a wide variety of vegetables available.

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