Quick salt pickles
 

A recipe almost seems excessive for these types of quickly made salt-and-sugar pickles, because the      technique for making them is so simple: Sprinkle some  thinly sliced vegetables with a 3:1 mix of sugar to   kosher salt and toss. Ten to 20 minutes later, they’re  ready to eat. The resulting pickles have a fresh snap.   

Quick salt pickles, master recipe MAKES ABOUT 2    CUPS     
Halve or double the recipe as needed.       
Vegetable, prepared as indicated             
1 tablespoon sugar, or more to taste         
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste         

1. Combine the vegetable with the sugar and salt in  a small mixing bowl and toss to coat with the sugar and salt. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes.      

2. Taste: if the pickles are too sweet or too salty, put them into a colander, rinse off the seasoning, and   dry in a kitchen towel. Taste again and add more sugar or salt as needed. 

Serve after 5 to 10 minutes, or  refrigerate for up to 4 hours.     

Quick-pickled cucumbers: 2 meaty Kirby cucumbers, cut into ¼-inch-thick disks. 

Quick-pickled radishes: 1 bunch radishes (breakfast radishes, icicle radishes, and the like), well scrubbed and cut into thin wedges through the root end. 

Quick-pickled daikon: 1 large or 3 small daikon radishes, peeled and cut into very, very thin slices.