Giardineira

Courtesy of Jeff Mauro from Food Network. Sounds like this will produce a very Chicago like giardinera for Italian beef and sausage sandwiches. (I used to use it on any sandwich in my fast food restaurant. My personal sandwich is a chili cheeseburger with sweet relish, grilled onions and giardineira!)

• Ready In: 48 hrs
• Serves: 20-30
• Yields: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup table salt
• 1  cup  small-diced carrot
• 1  cup  tiny cauliflower floret
• 4 -8  serrano peppers, sliced (depending on heat level desired)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  stalk celery, diced small
• 1  red bell pepper, diced small
• 2  cups canola oil
• 1  tablespoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine 2 cups water and the salt in a glass or non-reactive bowl. Mix until the salt is dissolved. Add the carrots, cauliflower, serranos, garlic, celery and bell pepper to the salt water and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. Day 2, drain and rinse the vegetables. In a clean bowl, mix together the oil with the oregano and pepper. Add the vegetables and mix to combine. Allow to marinate overnight. Giardiniera will only get better with time. After 2 days at the most in the bowl, you can place in air-tight mason jars and keep in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 weeks.