Sott'oli are canned vegetables vegetables packed in oil, and are also one of the more common commercially prepared antipasti; my father-in-law loves them and they're a fixture on the Sunday table. If you have a vegetable garden, making them isn't that hard, though you may have to experiment with your herb mix to get the effect you want. How to proceed?
Ingredients:
- See Below
Preparation:
Take firm vegetables from your garden, for example bell peppers, tiny button onions, baby mushrooms, carrots, baby artichoke hearts, tiny cucumbers, and so on, wash them well, cut them into small bite-sized pieces (quarter the artichoke hearts, if you're using them, and dispose of any fuzz they may contain) and blanch them for a few minutes in a water-and-vinegar solution. Drain them well, pat them dry, and pack them in olive oil in a jar with the herbs of choice, which can include pepper corns, coriander, bay leaves, parsley, oregano, cloves, or what have you. Garlic? I'd be hesitant because garlic can harbor botulism spores, and though a commercial operation has the equipment for neutralizing them, you may not.
Once you've filled the jar with oil give it a few sharp taps, turning it this way and that, to dislodge air bubbles, seal it tight, and store it in a cool dark place for a few weeks to give the herbs the time they need to flavor the vegetables.
Once you've filled the jar with oil give it a few sharp taps, turning it this way and that, to dislodge air bubbles, seal it tight, and store it in a cool dark place for a few weeks to give the herbs the time they need to flavor the vegetables.
