What's a Picnic Without Pickles?

Growing up, pickled green tomatoes made regular appearances at the dinner table. In the fall, you might also find spiced crab apples. In the summer, pickled watermelon rind. And what's a picnic without pickles?

For a long time, it seemed, pickled vegetables and fruits were disappearing altogether from the table, but I'm hoping that a renewed interest in canning will change all that.

Even if you choose not to take a stab at pickling yourself though, you can still indulge in the world of chow chow, pickled beets, sauerkraut, even whiskey cherries, thanks to Portland's Picklopolis, one of my latest finds at the Portland Farmers Market.

--Tracy Schneider