Giardiniera

Giardiniera is an Italian or Italian-American relish of pickled vegetables in vinegar or oil.

Common vegetables in the Italian version, also called "sotto aceti," include onions, celery, zucchini, carrots and cauliflower, pickled vegetables in red- or white-wine vinegar. It is typically eaten as an antipasto, or with salads.

However, in Chicago, giardiniera is a condiment, typically used as a topping on Italian beef sandwiches. It's commonly made with serrano peppers (called "sport" peppers in Chicago), with other assorted vegetables, such as bell peppers, olives, celery, pimentos, carrots and cauliflower and sometimes crushed red pepper flakes, all marinated in vegetable oil, olive oil, soybean oil or any combination of the three oils.

The word "giardiniera" in Italian literally translates to "woman gardener." It is derived from the root "giardino," which means "garden."

Recipes

* [http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/1322 Italian-style giardiniera at Epicurious.com]
* [http://www.roadfood.com/Recipes/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=218 Chicago-style giaridiniera at Roadfood.com]
* [http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Hot-Italian-Giardiniera/Detail.aspx Chicago-style giardiniera at Allrecipes]