I guess in the weird trend of branding ourselves as different fruits and vegetables, I can label myself a “pickle girl.” There’s a wide spectrum of how people feel about pickles: some people hate them, some people love them. I’m definitely pretty far on the positive end of the spectrum.
Having a decently busy schedule and living off-campus, I typically pack a lunch for the day. Recently I’ve been getting creative with my sandwich combinations, and I’m pretty proud of my creations. All it takes is a panini press, a weekly grocery budget, and a dream. An initial favorite of mine is a pesto-havarti-arugula-artichoke sandwich. More specifically, marinated artichokes. From there, my sandwich of the week evolved into a turkey-havarti grilled cheese, with pesto-caesar spread (just homemade Caesar dressing mixed with pesto), arugula, and both pickle chips and pickled pepperoncini. As you may be able to tell, my fridge has been stocked with pickled items for basically the entire quarter. After artichokes, cucumbers, and yellow peppers, I’ve moved on to pickled jalapeños. They go great in a chicken-cheese quesadilla. Chopping them and using some brine along with sour cream, mayo, and a few different spices makes the perfect dipping sauce to go with a quesadilla. I feel like a recipe influencer at this point but I swear, I just really like pickles.
Despite my recent sandwich creations, I’ve been a pickle lover for a long time. They make frequent appearances in my fridge just for snack purposes. Seasoned U-District cafe-goers might be familiar with Cafe Solstice’s grilled cheese sandwiches, which come with a pickle spear. Usually when I order a sandwich at Solstice, it’s because what I actually want is the pickle. There’s something about a salty, crunchy vegetable that just always hits the spot.
In doing an extremely minimal amount of research on pickles, I have learned some of their potential health benefits! They contain probiotics, which are good for your gut health, and apparently also decrease muscle cramps. Additionally, they can be helpful for diabetes, because the vinegar used to pickle them can help maintain hemoglobin and blood sugar levels.
I even have a pickle tote bag from Trader Joe’s that has become a very necessary part of my weekly grocery runs. Graphic tote bags are a very common Gen Z item, and a good way to signal certain things that you’re a fan of, like movie quotes, feminism, or Harry Styles. My tote bag of choice also represents something that I feel strongly about: pickles. I’m even considering studying abroad in Germany because I like pickles so much. Am I that into sausages, or beer? No, but pickles are all I need.