Giardiniera

Giardiniera. I absolutely love this stuff. It tastes fantastic on sandwiches and eggs, and is a great condiment for hot dogs and burgers. The options are endless, and if you like spicy with a tang, then this is definitely worth the time it takes to prepare.

Once you get good and have tweaked this recipe to your taste, you can begin to think about preserving and gifting it. I made a half dozen and gifted them to my family and friends for Christmas this past year!

What you will need:

6 serrano peppers sliced thin
1/2 can water chestnuts diced
3 stalks of celery sliced
1 carrot peeled and diced
1/2 head cauliflower, i liked to use the stems too for crunch
1/2 c red pepper diced
1 jalapeno diced (this makes it quite spicy, so leave out if you like something with medium heat)

1/2 cup salt
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 teaspoons dried oregano, or fresh herbs always if you have them!
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon celery seeds
black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cup Canola oil

STEP ONE:
Place all the chopped vegetables into a large bowl, pour in salt and mix until coated. Cover the veggies with cold water, and let soak overnight in the fridge, or for at least 12 hours. I usually use sea salt and it comes out great!

STEP TWO:
Strain veggies and rinse to remove excess salt, and portion them into jars or tupper ware. Combine spices in one bowl and oil and vinegar in another. Slowly whisk spices into oil/vinegar. Pour this combined mixture over the veggies and refrigerate for at least 48hrs to allow flavors to develop.

This will stay for 2-4 weeks. I love to puree some of this in the summertime to serve with hotdogs and brats on the grill; makes a really great spicy relish 🙂