I finally got around to making that giardiniera I mentioned a few weeks back. I got what I was looking for too – crisp vegetables with a nice balance of heat, acidity, richness from the oil and a hint of sweetness from the rice wine vinegar. Best of all – it couldn’t be easier. One side note – wear rubber gloves when removing the seeds and dicing the jalapeno and Serrano peppers. I made the mistake of not doing so and I paid for it for two days. The oil from the seeds can stay on your hands for a few days and it won't be pleasant.

Anyways, I can’t wait to add some to my next sandwich. Enjoy!

¼ cup cauliflower, chopped into bite size pieces

½ cup carrots, chopped into bite size pieces

½ cup celery, chopped into bite size pieces

3 fresh Serrano peppers, seeds removed from two and diced

2 jalapenos, seeds removed, diced

Red Bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp dry oregano

1 tbsp dry parsley

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

½ cup kosher salt

1 cup vegetable oil

¾ cup white vinegar

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

Place all vegetables, oregano, parsley and red pepper flakes into a bowl and add salt. Toss to coat and add water until all vegetables are submerged. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Drain vegetable and water mixture into a fine strainer and rinse with fresh cold water to get rid of the salt.

Add mixture to re-sealable container; add oil and vinegars. Shake well. Refrigerate for 48 hours.

Giardiniera will last for 2 – 3 weeks refrigerated.