Quick Giardiniera
This quickly pickled, spicy Italian salad of mixed sliced vegetables is great for an antipasto platter, served with grilled meat or chopped up and put on a sandwich.
•2 cups white vinegar
•2 cups water
•2 tablespoons sugar
•1 bay leaf
•1 teaspoon crushed red pepper, divided
•1 teaspoon salt, divided
•1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bite-size florets
•2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
•1 carrot, thinly sliced
•1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
•3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Directions
1.Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
2.5 cups
3.Combine vinegar, water, sugar, bay leaf and 1/2 teaspoon each crushed red pepper and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
4.Add cauliflower, celery, carrot and bell pepper. Reduce the heat to maintain a lively simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid, then drain.
5.Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl. Stir in oil, pepper, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon each crushed red pepper and salt and the reserved cooking liquid. Refrigerate for at least 25 minutes to chill. Stir and serve with a slotted spoon.