I also enjoy making my own pickles. There's a farmer's market just down the road from my apartment, and on weekends they have vegetable wholesalers; this means that I can get tons of veggies for awful cheap. With such prices (and the fact that you have to buy entire crates/bushels at a time), pickling becomes a great option.
What I do varies only slightly by vegetable. Since I do not have a pressure canner, I only make fridge pickles. To further combat botulism, I get vinegar (or a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water) boiling hot before pouring it into the container with the veggies. Garlic, onions, jalapeno, cilantro/coriander, dill, and other flavorings have all graced some of my pickle jars. Really, it's all about using what's at hand to make something delicious
