Confetti Relish
Makes 5 pints

This is a recipe for the August garden, when squash and peppers are everywhere. As long as you stick to the basic measurements, you can use any combination of zucchini, crooknecks, or pattypans and red, yellow, or green bell peppers. Diced by hand, the vegetables look like garden confetti. The chopping takes less time than you might fear, and probably not much longer than setting up, using, and washing a piece of kitchen gadgetry.

3 pounds mixed zucchini and yellow squash (11 cups diced)
1 pound red onions (3 cups diced)
1 pound red or yellow bell peppers (3 cups diced)
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3-1/2 cups apple-cider vinegar
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, finely ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, finely ground
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh or dried chili peppers, finely diced

1. Chop the vegetables into 1/4-inch dice and toss with the salt. Set aside in a colander to drip for 2 hours. Pour a kettle of boiling water over the vegetables to rinse them.

2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the vegetables, and cook over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and yielding.

3. Pack the hot relish into five prepared pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Seal the jars, and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Allow to cure for a few weeks.