Giardiniera

photo: Eric Diesel

The harvest continues rolling in, and to celebrate, we’ve been focusing this month on the garden. We’ve studied our Farmers Market cookbooks and turned fresh, heady basil into a rich but simple weeknight dinner. We’ve accepted our fair share of zucchini and squash from overwhelmed neighbors whose plants just won’t stop producing. And, yes, we’ve started the canning.

I was delighted to find a place in Astoria that sells canning jars and equipment. Every Saturday morning finds me there, stocking up before an afternoon of prep and production. Earlier this month, I mentioned capturing the beauty of fresh strawberries and blackberries by making jam, as well as candying beautiful citrus. During a free night this week I made a batch of chili sauce that is still seasoning. I checked the jars of dill pickles I made last weekend and can report that they are progressing just as they should be – I expect to pop open the first lid over Labor Day weekend. While the kirbys and Persian cucumbers are still strong, I’ll make another batch of pickles – perhaps some of my grandmother’s special lemon-dills, and maybe even some cornichons – and, of course, chow-chow.

photo: Eric Diesel

Putting food in jars is an appreciation of bounty and an expression of gratitude for it. No dish exemplifies this more than giardiniera – simple pickled vegetables. Though properly considered an Italian preparation – reflected in the composition of the pickle to include peppers and onions – “giardinera” in Italian can also be “jardinière” in French, where the preparation could also include beans or aubergines. The ingredient list varies by household, but a proper giardiniera should always include cauliflower, carrots and celery, suspended in a simple vinegar preservative seasoned with garlic and touched with herbs and spices. The simplicity of the final product highlights the freshness of its ingredients – and that, in fact, is the point.

Here is a simple recipe for enough fresh, bright giardiniera to enliven the last picnic spread of the summer and to pack with memories into jars for upcoming seasons. The first taste after the lid snaps open will bring a smile to your face, as you are greeted by spice and vinegar and crunch. Break out the giardiniera to inaugurate a cool autumn luncheon, to enliven the Thanksgiving relish tray, to accompany winter’s chili pot, even to compare against next spring's baby vegetables. Every jar will remind of you of this summer, when you captured the bounty of plants producing at their peak.

GIARDINIERA

You will think that you have a lot of vegetables, but once the brining gets underway they will compact a bit, and you will see that you you have enough to fill six pint-sized jars for sealing in a hot water-bath canner.  If there is any left over, stick it in a bowl in the fridge -- it is guaranteed to get eaten.  This recipe has a lot of steps, but once you get your rhythm going, the process moves quickly.  I've included links for safe canning preparation and processing -- I cannot stress enough the importance of following these directions.  If you do, you will find that canning is simple, safe and satisfying.

For the pickles
4 medium carrots
4 ribs celery
4 small zucchini
1 small head cauliflower
2 medium red bell peppers
4 Italian peppers
½ pound yellow wax beans
2 small red onions
1 head garlic
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Extra-virgin olive oil

For the brine
5 cups white vinegar
3 cups water
3 cups white sugar
2 tablespoons kosher or canning salt
4 bay leaves

1. Prepare canner, jars and lids. For instructions on safe canning, click here:  http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/publications_usda.html, or here: http://www.freshpreserving.com/getting-started.aspx.

2. Fill a large bowl with warm water. Following the package directions, add a few drops of vegetable cleaner to the water. Remove produce labels if any from the zucchini and peppers.  Submerge the zucchini and peppers in the water and gently swirl.

3. Set an in-sink colander in place.  Rinse each zucchini and pepper thoroughly under warm water and place in in-sink colander to drain.  Rinse the celery and place in the colander to drain.  Rinse the beans and place in the colander to drain.

4. Place a clean cutting board, a sharp knife and a vegetable peeler on your workspace.  Place a large bowl near the cutting station.

5. Place a large stock pot on the stovetop.  Add the sugar and salt; stir with a wire whisk to combine.  Crumble the bay leaves into the sugar-salt mixture.  Add the vinegar, stirring to dissolve the sugar-salt mixture, then add the water.  Cover, and turn heat to medium.  Place a slotted spoon near the stock pot.

6. Peel the carrots; rinse under warm water and place in the in-sink colander to drain while you chop.  Working one at a time, cut off and discard the top and bottom of each carrot; do not use the large, tough top of the carrot.  Cut each carrot into coins 1/4 inch thick.  Scrape the coins into the large bowl.

7. Align the celery stalks side by side on the cutting board. Remove and discard the calloused tops and wide white root ends of the celery. Cut across the stalks at 1/2-inch intervals to form half-moons. Scrape the cut celery into the bowl.

8. Place the red peppers on the cutting board.  Cut each red pepper in half from cap to bottom. Cut away and discard the stem; cut away any pithy white from inside each half. Rinse each half under warm water to remove the seeds; if saving seeds for planting, do this step over a fine mesh sieve to catch the seeds. Cut off and discard the rounded top and bottom of each half and set aside. Flatten the remaining pepper, skin side down, against the cutting board. Cut each flattened half into 1/2-inch strips and cut across the strips to form 1/2-inch squares.  Scrape the chopped red pepper into the bowl.

9. Working one at a time, place each Italian pepper on the cutting board.  Cut away and discard the top and bottom of each pepper; cut away and discard any pithy white from inside each pepper. Rinse each pepper under warm water to remove the seeds; if saving seeds for planting, do this step over a fine mesh sieve to catch the seeds. Working one at a time, cut each pepper into 1/4 -- 1/2 inch rings.  Scrape the pepper rings into the bowl.

10. Snap or snip and discard the stem ends of the beans.  Align beans on the cutting board.  Cut across the beans to form 1-inch pieces.  Inspect the beans as you go, discarding any that display soft brown or yellow spots, or are withered.  Scrape the cut beans into the bowl.

11. Lay each cleaned zucchini on the cutting board. Cut off and discard both rounded ends of the zucchini. Working one at a time, cut each zucchini crosswise into coins approximately 1/4 inch thick.  Scrape the zucchini into the bowl.

12. Peel each onion and remove the root and stem ends. Halve each onion from root to stem; halve each half. Cut each quarter into crescents.  Scrape the crescents into the bowl.

13. Remove the tough outer leaves from the cauliflower.  Rinse the cauliflower under warm water.  Working over the colander, use a small, sharp knife to remove the florets in bite sized pieces.  Pick through florets to make sure they include no pieces of stem or leaf.

14. Use your hands to gently toss together the vegetables in the bowl.

15. Check the brine; it should be gently boiling.  Gently place the cauliflower into the brine; use the slotted spoon to stir.  Gently add the remaining vegetables by handfuls, using the slotted spoon to stir as you go to ensure a good mix.

16. Bring pickle mixture to a boil.  Once boiling, cover the mixture and turn off the heat.

17. While the vegetables are pickling, remove the cloves from the head of garlic.  Peel each clove; cut off and discard root end. Place the cloves in a clean bowl.

18. Use a small bowl or coffee cup to mix the peppercorns, oregano and pepper flakes together.

19. Place a clean towel on a counter near the canner. 

20. Use canning tongs to remove hot jars from water bath.  Do your best not to touch the hot jars; let the tongs do the work.  Place hot jars mouth up on the clean towel.

21. Doing your best not to touch the jars, place two cloves garlic in each jar.  Place two teaspoons pepper-oregano mixture in each jar.  It is okay if there is spice left over.

22. Remove the lid from the pickled vegetables.  Place a clean canning funnel into the mouth of a canning jar, and use the slotted spoon to tightly pack hot vegetables into the jar to the 1/2-inch mark.  It is okay if there are vegetables left over.

23. Drizzle the vegetables in each jar with a two-count of extra-virgin olive oil.

24. Use a clean ladle to fill each jar with hot brine to the 1/4-inch mark. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if necesary (see instructions) with hot brine.

25. Use a clean, damp sponge to wipe the rim of each jar.  Center a clean, hot lid (see instructions) on each jar.  Screw a band down on each jar until it meets resistance; increase just until tight.

26. Use canning tongs to return the jars to the boiling water bath.  Add more water if necessary to ensure that the jars are completely covered by boiling water by 1 inch.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

27. While jars are processing, spoon remaining pickles if any into a glass jar or refrigerator dish.  Add remaining spice, two cloves of garlic, and a one-to-two count of olive oil, depending on the volume of the vegetables.  Cover vegetables with hot brine.  This fresh giardiniera will keep, refrigerated, for up to one month.

28. After jars have processed for ten minutes in the boiling water bath, turn off the heat.  Remove the canner lid and set aside. Let jars sit in hot water ten minutes. 

29. After ten minutes, use the canning tongs to remove the jars.  Being very careful of the hot jars, lids and liquid, place jars upright on the towel.  Allow to sit 24 hours.  After 24 hours, check for a vacuum seal (see instructions).   Label each jar with the contents and the date prepared.  Safely prepared, stored and sealed, the giardiniera will keep for one year from date of preparation.