If the closest you’ve come to prepping giardiniera is opening a jar from the grocery store, you might think of it as a fixed entity. But for Sarah Grueneberg, chef-owner of Monteverde, it’s a chance to get creative. “To understand giardiniera, start with the root of the word, which is ‘garden’ in Italian,” she says. “So it can be any vegetable that would be good for pickling.” While she centers cauliflower and celery in this recipe, she encourages a choose-your-own-adventure approach with your favorite seasonal veggies. “Think of this recipe as a guideline and have fun,” Grueneberg says. “Other vegetables that would be great are carrots and fennel. Some green veggies tend to turn brown, so I would stay away from things like green bell pepper.”
Pickled Cauliflower Giardiniera
Makes About 4 cups
Active time 15 minutes
Total time 3 days (to allow pickles to rest)
| 1 | small head of cauliflower (about 1 pound), cut into small florets |
| 2 | celery stalks, sliced on a bias about ¼ inch thick |
| 2 | red finger chiles, Fresnos, or other fresh chile peppers, sliced into rings |
| 7 | tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more for seasoning |
| ¾ | cup distilled white vinegar |
| ½ | cup sugar |
| 1 | dried bay leaf |
| 1 | tsp. fennel seeds |
| 1 | tsp. coriander seeds |
| 1 | tsp. chile flakes |
| ½ | cup sliced pitted green olives (like Castelvetrano) |
| 2 | Tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley |
| 1 | Tbsp. drained capers |
| 1 | tsp. dried wild Calabrian or Greek oregano |
| ½ | cup olive oil |
1. Brine the vegetables
In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, celery, and chiles with 2 tablespoons salt. Add enough cold water to cover the vegetables and place the bowl in the refrigerator overnight.
Sarah’s tip: “Taking the time to brine the vegetables not only seasons them but also allows them to stay crispy in the pickle and keep their texture.”
2. Pickle the vegetables
Drain the vegetables and tightly pack them into a large heatproof bowl. Bring the vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, chile flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium pot. Pour the hot liquid over the vegetables, cover the bowl, and refrigerate for 2 days.
Sarah’s tip: “The Italians have this wonderful way of pickling where they remove the pickles from the pickling liquid and marinate them in olive oil. Hold off on adding fresh herbs until that next stage. When they’re absorbed into the olive oil rather than the vinegar solution, they stay punchy and vibrant.”
3. Marinate the giardiniera
Drain the pickles, reserving the pickling liquid. In a medium bowl, stir together the pickles, olives, parsley, capers, oregano, olive oil, a generous pinch of salt, and ½ cup of the pickling liquid. (Refrigerate the remaining liquid for other uses.)
Sarah’s tip: “Be sure to save the pickling liquid! It would really make a pasta salad pop, or you could use it as a vinaigrette. At Monteverde, we drizzle it over seared pork belly while it’s on the grill.”
Recipe from Listen to Your Vegetables by Sarah Grueneberg with Kate Heddings. Reprinted by permission of Harvest.
