Lotus Root Pickles for a Japanese side dish

Lotus root is called renkon in Japanese and I am curious to cook more with it.  They are so pretty when sliced. It's good to expand my winter vegetable repertoire! Some lotus root ideas:

• Peel, slice and eat raw. Tastes very mild, like less-watery jicama.  I bet they'd be good in salad rolls?
• Keep skin on, slice into 1/4 inch slices, then simmer in liquid or with soups or stews
• Quick pickle like this recipe. Serve as a side dish or on top of rice. 

Quick Pickled Lotus Root:
 Soak in a small saucepan for 20 minutes or up to overnight:
1/2 C rice viengar (komezu)
2 TB sugar
1/4 tea salt
1 square inch kombu

Now bring to a boil, stir to dissolve. Then let cool and pour into a pint jar.

Set up a bowl of water and add a squirt of lemon juice.

Peel lotus root.  Slice thinly on a mandolin slicer and dunk in the bowl of water to prevent browning.


Drain lotus root, then parboil for 1-2 minutes (parboil in plain water, or in 2 C water and 2 TB rice vinegar/komezu).
 
Drain again and add the parboiled lotus slices to the solution in the pint jar.  Push the slices down until all the pieces are submerged in liquid. Put a piece of kombu on top.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or potentially a few months(?). You can start enjoying the next day (i.e. let it immerse in the liquid for a bit before you eat).

This is great as a add on to a Japanese meal with many little plates, such as sushi, tamagoyaki, miso soup etc.