Recipe of the week: giardiniera, the classical antipasto of Piedmont

Giardiniera is one of the most known typical specialties of Piedmont. It is in fact also called antipasto piemontese. 

This tasty salad, composed of mixed picked vegetables and often enriched with tuna, is the perfect antipasto in any time of the year, and a great way to enjoy vegetables all year around. Giardiniera is also very low on calories.

The origins of giardiniera are quite ancient and humble. This recipe comes from the poor peasant cuisine, and it was used to conserve summer vegetables for a long time even during winter months. 

Here is our suggested recipe.

Ingredients

3 kg ripe tomatoes

½ onion

500 g celery

500 g carrots

500 g green beans

500 g cauliflower

500 g peppers

500 g baby onions

3 bay leaves

2 tsp of sugar

about 100 ml of wine vinegar

extra virgin olive oil

coarse salt

Method

Wash and chop the vegetables (celery, carrots, green beans, cauliflower, peppers) into pieces of equal dimension.

Put the tomatoes in boiling water for few minutes, and then peel and chop them. 

Chop the onion and put in a hot pan with some oil. After browning for few minutes, add the lay leaves and the chopped tomatoes and let them cook for 30 minutes. Pass them through the vegetable mill and put back on the heat. 

When the tomato puree starts boiling, add the mixed vegetables and the sugar. The vegetables have to be put in in the following order, one kind to be added 10 minutes after the other: celery, carrots, baby onions, green beans, cauliflower, peppers. 

After the peppers have been added, cook for 10 more minutes. Then add about 100 ml of oil, the wine vinegar and a handful of coarse salt. Stir.

If desired, add tuna.

Pour the giardiniera into jars and, after putting the lids on, leave the jars upside down. The jars to conserve the giardiniera have to be previously put in oven for at least 10 minutes for pasteurisation.