Tucked away on Johns Island, SC, around the corner from the famous Angel Oak Tree and not far from downtown Charleston, lies a tiny market that serves up an impressive menu of sandwiches, inventive specials, novelty items like Naturally Blonde Bloody Mary Mix and ginger vinegar, gazpacho, pickles, produce, steaks, and arguably one of the best crab cakes I’ve ever had. It was like a giant crab marshmallow.
I went in for a jar of pickles from another vendor (that’s another post for another day), and the butcher directed me toward their own homemade pickles. Whole cucumbers sliced in half were jammed into a cloudy brine of what seems to be mustard seed, crushed red pepper, onion, and caraway seeds. I don’t see any traces of dill!
Crunchy and crispy and not appearing to have been cooked, the sharp vinegar hits the back of the throat on first bite. Perfectly salty, this is a pickle for any occasion: grilling, sandwiches, or just by itself. I added the juice to a Bloody Mary for a perfect sour bite in my favorite brunch cocktail. It’s also a martini-worthy brine!
Blackbird Farms & Market is a true farm – to – table experience. I have eaten in many Charleston restaurants that list Blackbird as one of their sources. So these perfect cukes were born on either Wadmalaw Island, SC or Hendersonville, NC – or perhaps transported here from Asheville or Columbia farmers markets according to the Market’s Facebook page.
Pickle Picker 