Pickling 101

Have decided to do something a little different for Superbowl Sunday this time around. Bry and I had a low maintenance dinner of "antipasti sandwiches" the other day. Bought some rosemary ham from TJ's, Prosciutto Americano from W.Foods (was decent and affordable), along with sweet & spicy peppers, salami, buffalo mozzarella, arugula, Roma tomatoes, and some nice focaccia. Let's just say we're going to take it to another level with the homemade gardiniera I'm making today. Found this great recipe c/o the Smitten Kitchen c/o Gourmet Mag. Can't wait!

Giardiniera (Pickled Vegetables)
September 2006 Gourmet Magazine

For pickling liquid:
2 ½ cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
¾ cup sugar
5 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
½ teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
For vegetables:
1 head cauliflower (2 lb), trimmed and broken into 1- to 1 1/2 -inch florets (6 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut diagonally into ½-inch-thick slices (2 cups)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (3 cups)
1 cup drained bottled whole peperoncini (4 oz)
1 cup large brine-cured greens olives (preferably Sicilian; 6 oz)*
½ cup oil-cured black olives (6 oz)
Prepare pickling liquid:
Bring pickling-liquid ingredients to a boil in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan** over moderate head, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a 4-quart nonreactive bowl and cool about 30 minutes.
Cook vegetables:
Bring about 6 quarts unsalted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. Add cauliflower to pot and boil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to ice bath to stop cooking. Cook remaining vegetables separately in same manner, allowing 4 minutes each for bell peppers*** and carrots and 2 minutes for celery. Drain vegetables in a colander and spread out on 2 large kitchen towels to dry. Add cooked vegetables, peperoncini, and olives to pickling liquid, Weight vegetables with a plate to keep them submerged, then chill, covered, at least 1 day.
Makes about 10 cups
Pickled vegetables keep, covered and chilled, 1 week.

*I personally don't care for olives or peperoncinis, but I do like to add sliced Serrano peppers...
*Smitten kitchen recommended reducing bell pepper cooking time to 2 minutes for crisper results