BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI - NYT
Cauliflower, carrots, celery and peppers are brined and marinated in a zesty dressing to create giardiniera. The technique is much easier than other preservation methods.
Quick winter pickles can satisfy the desire for crunch and put a new, fresh taste on your plate.
Year-round, Chicagoans embrace giardiniera, a satisfying mix of cauliflower, carrots and peppers that are brined, then marinated in a zesty dressing. Giardiniera (pronounced jar-deen-YAIR-uh and Italian for "from the garden") is piled on pizza, hot dogs and even stirred into tuna salad.
Making the pickles is a tradition in many Italian-American households, but it does not require the work you might expect of a long-handed-down custom. This is preserving with no lids to seal and no fear of poisoning your family; it takes only an hour or so of preparation and two or three days of waiting, and keeps in the refrigerator for weeks.
In many ways, what follows is more technique than recipe. If you love carrots, add more. Or introduce zucchini, eggplant, onions or green beans. If you want it extra-spicy, add more serranos, red pepper flakes or even a tiny Thai chili. Chop the vegetables uniformly so that the brine will work its magic evenly. Mincing makes a great relish for a hot dog, while larger dice are better for a side dish.
The vegetables brine in salty water overnight, or between breakfast and coming home from work. Yes, it's been a long day, so go ahead, pour a glass of wine, then rinse the vegetables, shake up the vinaigrette and pack the jars. After a couple of days, taste the pickle; you just may be hooked.
