Giardiniera, or mixed pickled vegetables, is what most Italians think of when they hear the words Sotto Aceti, a collection of mixed pickled vegetables. The standard Italian antipasto misto wouldn't be quite right without these, and they also work very well with boiled meats in the winter months. This recipe will make about 2 1/2 pounds, and though you might be tempted to put it all into one big jar, you'll be better off using several smaller jars because the contents of an open jar loose their freshness.
You'll need:
You'll need:
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces (250 g) button onions, peeled and soaked in cold water for an hour
- 10 ounces (250 g) baby carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
- 10 ounces (250 g) white celery, stalks only, stripped of filaments and cut into short lengths
- A medium-sized cauliflower
- 1 quart (1 liter) white wine vinegar (have more handy)
- Olive oil
- A couple of bay leaves
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon salt
Preparation:
The vegetables listed are the standard ones one finds in almost every recipe, but you can add other things to suit your taste, for example baby mushrooms, green beans, zucchini, baby cucumbers, or artichoke hearts -- feel free to experiment.
Set the vinegar to boil with the herbs, spices and salt. While it's heating separate the cauliflower florets. When the vinegar comes to a boil, add the vegetables and cook them for about 15 minutes. Remove them to the jars with a slotted spoon and pour the boiling hot vinegar over them; have more boiling vinegar handy should that in which you cooked the vegetables not be sufficient. Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil over the top of each jar, cover them tightly, and let them cool. Store them in a cool dark place for a couple of weeks, and they're ready for use. Expect them to keep for a year.
Yield: several jars of giardiniera, Italian pickled vegetables.
Set the vinegar to boil with the herbs, spices and salt. While it's heating separate the cauliflower florets. When the vinegar comes to a boil, add the vegetables and cook them for about 15 minutes. Remove them to the jars with a slotted spoon and pour the boiling hot vinegar over them; have more boiling vinegar handy should that in which you cooked the vegetables not be sufficient. Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil over the top of each jar, cover them tightly, and let them cool. Store them in a cool dark place for a couple of weeks, and they're ready for use. Expect them to keep for a year.
Yield: several jars of giardiniera, Italian pickled vegetables.
