Giardiniera

An antipasto is not complete without a giardiniera or vegetali alla giardiniera, meaning ‘garden vegetables’. This wonderfully crunchy and very appetising pickle is made up of a mixture of vegetables, such as carrots, beans, onions, cucumbers, courgettes, cauliflower, kohlrabi and anything else that is in season, cut into small pieces and cooked in wine vinegar until tender. When the pickle is eaten with slices of salami or prosciutto as part of an antipasto, the acidity of the vinegar helps stimulate the appetite.