I’m not embarrassed to admit I have a few bad habits I can’t seem to kick: I tend to be messy and will always attempt to justify my clutter; I’m a classic worrywart, always preparing for events that aren’t likely to happen; and I typically fill my grocery cart with things I usually don’t need. All three traits are apparent when one is in my kitchen.

By Thursday of every week, I’m making lunches and dinners to “use stuff up” in an effort to not waste the bounty of produce in my refrigerator. We take homemade salads to work, cook just about any vegetable into some sort of stir fry, and puree and freeze fruit mixes for the baby. Sometimes, though, I’m left with a handful of a few items I can’t figure out what to do with.

When I came across half a bag of carrots and a bunch of asparagus that was on its way out, it was already too late in the week to incorporate them into a dinner recipe. I was determined not to waste my veggies, so I took stock of my spices and came up with a spicy and tangy pickling solution.

Pickled Carrots and Asparagus

• 5 carrots, peeled and quartered into sticks
• 1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut in half
• 1-½ cups white wine vinegar
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ¾ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 shallots, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, prepare a large bowl of cold water with ice and set aside. When the pot of water has come to a full boil, pour in carrots and asparagus. Blanch by cooking for approximately one minute, then pouring the pot over a colander to separate the vegetables, and immediately placing the carrots and asparagus in cold water to stop the cooking process. In a medium sauce pan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, spices, shallots and garlic to a boil. Whisk to make sure sugar dissolves. Set aside. Place carrots and asparagus in a large glass jar then fill with as much of the vinegar solution as possible. Cover and cool in refrigerator. The pickled vegetables can be enjoyed as soon as they cool, but are best if given at least one day to marinate.