Giardiniera, Italian Pickled Vegetables
Giardiniera, from giardino for garden, is Italy's jar of pickled garden vegetables, cauliflower and carrot and celery snapped in a vinegar brine and set out as part of an antipasto or a foil to richer food. It is the ancestor of the fiery Chicago version that tops sandwiches, but the Italian original is milder and cleaner, more about crunch and acid than heat. The usual recipe salts the vegetables hard, both to draw water and to preserve; done this way the vinegar carries the preservation on its own and whole fennel seed, bay, oregano, and a little chile carry the flavor. The one thing to get right is the blanch: just to tender-crisp, then cool the vegetables down in the brine so they soak up the seasoning without going soft. Make a jar and it sits in the fridge for weeks, ready whenever a plate needs a bright, sharp bite.
Ingredients
- 1/2 head Cauliflower, small florets
- 2 wholes Carrots, sliced on the diagonal
- 2 ribs Celery, sliced
- 1 whole Bell peppers, red, cut in strips
- 3 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 1 1/2 cups White wine vinegar
- 2 leafs Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp Fennel seed
Method
- Bring the vinegar and 1 1/2 cups water (360 ml) to a boil with the bay, oregano, red pepper flakes, and fennel seed. A giardiniera is usually built on a heavy salt brine; here the vinegar does the preserving and the whole spices do the seasoning, so the brine has to be well flavored before the vegetables go in.
- Add the cauliflower and carrots first and simmer 3 minutes, since they are the firmest and need the head start. Then add the celery, pepper, and garlic and simmer 1 minute more. You are blanching them to the edge of tender-crisp, not cooking them soft; they will keep firming as they cool and firm again in the fridge.
- Pull the pan off the heat and let everything cool in the brine. Cooling in the liquid is where the vegetables actually take on their flavor, drinking in the garlic and chile as the brine drops in temperature.
- Pack the vegetables into a clean jar and pour the brine over to cover. Press them down so they stay under the liquid, which keeps them crisp and evenly soured.
- Refrigerate at least a day before eating. The pickle needs that time for the acid to work through the cauliflower stems and the garlic to bloom. It keeps three weeks and is a sharp foil to beans, grains, or a bowl of soup.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 35 calories, 1 g protein, 2 g fiber, 25 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
