Alex Guarnaschelli’s Giardiniera

This recipe for giardiniera — a spicy Italian pickled vegetable mix that’s sort of a condiment and sort of a salad — is adapted from Cook With Me by Alex Guarnaschelli; we wrote about it in October 2020. Enjoy it as a nibble with a pre-dinner glass of wine, or put it on the table when you have pizza or pasta with a rich ragù bolognese. You’ll need to soak the cut-up vegetables overnight in salt water before you start.

Makes about 3 pints.

Ingredients

6 garlic cloves, thinly slices

4 celery stalks, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

3 carrots (about 1/2 pound), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced, then the bigger slices cut in half

1/2 serrano chile (including the seeds), cut into thin rounds

1/2 a head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets

6 tablespoons kosher salt, divided

3 cups white wine vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon dried red chile flakes

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1/2 cup pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola, roughly chopped (if very large) or cut in half (if smaller)

Instructions

1. Place the garlic, celery, carrots, bell pepper slices, serrano and cauliflower florets in a large glass bowl with 4 tablespoons of the salt. Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables completely, stir briefly to dissolve the salt, cover with plastic film and refrigerate overnight.

2. Make the brine: In a medium pot, combine the vinegar with 2 cups of water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, until the salt dissolves completely, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the coriander seeds, oregano, mustard seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, celery seeds and olives to the brine. Remove from heat and let the brine cool for 10 minutes or so.

3. Drain and rinse the vegetables, rinse the glass bowl and and return the vegetables to it. Pour the brine, including all the seasonings, over the vegetables and let the mixture cool completely to room temperature, 1 to 2 hours. (You can eat some of it now if you like, but it’s even better if it marinates overnight.)

4. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the giardiniera is completely chilled. Divide it between three 1-pint jars and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks.