Fresh Giardiniera
I did a little deep dive into Italian immigration in Chicago (just north of my childhood hometown!) when I started wondering where the idea of heaping giardiniera on top of slow cooked beef sandwiches came from. Apparently, Italian beef sandwiches are specific to the Chicago little Italy scene and the jars of pickled garden vegetables lining store shelves were a tradition brought from Italy. I put my own spin on the idea and thinly sliced lots of crunchy vegetables and quick brined them in the fridge to create a fridge pickle straight from the garden. It brightens up whatever it touches, so don’t be afraid to add a scoop here and there.
Ingredients:
Makes 8 servings
1 medium fennel bulb, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 water
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
a pinch of ground clove
a pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bay leaf
Directions:
Put the thinly sliced veggies in a medium bowl. Then in a small saucepan, combine the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes, until the salt and sugar is dissolved. Pour it over the veggies in the bowl and toss well to coat. Let them sit and marinate for about 15 minutes. Pour the whole shebang into a jar and put in the fridge until you’re ready to use it! This is great made ahead as it gets more flavorful as it sits. It will stay good in the fridge for at least a week and probably even longer!
