Party Size Giardiniera Antipasto Recipes

GIARDINIERA: ITALIAN-STYLE MIXED PICKLED VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Wash the cauliflower, celery, and bell pepper. Remove the solid core from the cauliflower and break the rest up into approximately 1-inch florets.
• Remove the stem, seeds, and any white pith from the red bell pepper. Chop the celery and pepper into 1-inch pieces. Alternatively, cut the peppers into strips.
• Peel the carrots and chop them into 1-inch pieces.
• Peel the onion and cut it in half. Cut the halves into 1/4-inch thick slices.
• Combine the white wine vinegar, water, salt, and the sugar or honey in a large pot.
• Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar or honey.
• Add the vegetables to the brine and simmer them for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the garlic, hot chile pepper (if using), bay leaf, mustard seeds, and whole black peppercorns into a clean glass quart jar.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the jar.
• Pour the hot brine over the other ingredients. You want the vegetables and spices to be completely immersed in the liquid, but there should still be a 3/4-inch headspace between the surface of the brine and the rim of the jar.
• Pour the extra-virgin olive oil on top of the brine. There should be just enough oil to completely cover the surface of the brine.
• Refrigerate for at least one week before sampling.

ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Mix first 5 ingredients in large pot. Boil 5 minutes.
• Add next 4 ingredients, boil 10 minutes.
• Add balance of ingredients. Try not to break up shrimp and tuna too much. Bring to just boiling.
• Process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.
• Note: *Drain everything except olives and pickled onion juice. Biffy and Frank's flub (taste great.) Omit vinegar.
• Optional - small amount of brown sugar, HP sauce, chopped garlic, hot pepper sauce (dried or fresh) WE NEVER USE THESE.
• Something sure has changed with Recipe Zaar! When trying to put the ingredients in it was a big pain in the butt for the sizes. I've converted the grams to ounces but I didn't have everything in my cupboard to actually look at so I guessed. But most cans come pretty standard, and the "Frozen Shrimp" is a large bag -- it wouldn't let me put just "large.".

ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• In a large bowl with enough lightly salted water to cover, place the cauliflower, pearl onions, red bell peppers, green bell peppers, celery and cucumbers. Soak 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.
• In a small bowl with enough lightly salted water to cover, place the carrots. Soak 8 to 12 hours, or overnight.
• In a large saucepan, place the vegetable oil, vinegar, tomato paste and pickling spice. Bring the mixture to a boil. Drain and rinse the carrots, and place them in the mixture. Boil 10 minutes.
• Drain and rinse the vegetables in the cauliflower mixture. Place them into the saucepan. Cook 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender but crisp.
• Stir black olives, green olives, mushrooms and tuna into the mixture. Remove the mixture from heat. Discard the wrapped pickling spice. While still hot, transfer to sterile containers and refrigerate.

PARTY-SIZE - GIARDINIERA/ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put all of the Fresh Peppers in a shallow oven pan and roast, turning frequently to allow all sides to cook.
• Continue roasting until the skin blisters and begins to peel away from the peppers.
• This is the only time you will use your oven.
• Remove Roasted Peppers, open up, clean out the seed pod and stem, and discard.
• Peel the peppers, chop and place in a large bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together, soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, Splenda, curry powder and set aside.
• Cut about one inch off the bottoms of the asparagus spears and discard.
• Steam cook the asparagus spears.
• Do not overcook.
• Fine-chop asparagus and place in bowl with the peppers.
• Skin the Roma tomatoes, by dipping in very hot water for a few minutes.
• The skin will slide off easily.
• In your Food Processor, add the following in order, carrots, cauliflower, broccholi, zucchini, garlic, all the olives, mushrooms and tomatoes.
• Pulse-chop, in reasonable quantities and pieces at one time, through the feed tube.
• It will take several processes to complete the chopping.
• Hand-chop green onions, and celery spears.
• Add to the bowl with asparagus and roasted peppers.
• Next, add the whisked ingredients to the bowl; salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
• Cover and set in refrigerator to"season".
• When ready to serve to your party guests, give the mixture an additional turn with a large spoon.
• Set out in separate bowls suitable for dipping, one cup portions at a time.
• Sprinkle each serving with Sesame Seeds and mix carefully to blend.
• Serve on separate trays with several kinds of your favourite cocktail crackers for dipping.
• Also goes well with baked tortilla chips, and small pita rounds.

GIARDINIERA, MEATS, CHEESE, OLIVES, BREADSTICKS, AND SMOKED ALMONDS FOR ANTIPASTO

Steps:

• On a large cutting board, arrange piles of hot pepper salad, cheese and sausages or salamis. Serve olives in a small bowl with a second bowl set out for the pits. Pile toothpicks into a shot glass and set on edge of board. Bread sticks of grissini look great in a water glass and add height to your antipasto board. Smoked almonds can be served in any barrel shaped glass; easy to pick up and spill out a few nuts into the palm of your hand. Decorate your board with bundles of any combination of fresh herbs that you have on hand.