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Raw Italian Giardiniera Recipe

IMG_0637Many years ago, we were introduced to Italian Giardiniera when our roommate at the time, Tommy G., would “mule” gallon jars of giardiniera from the Italian section of his hometown Chicago.  Even though this particular giardiniera was cooked and pasteurized, and used cottonseed oil as the main oil, we still loved it every time Tommy G. returned home with it.

When I found this raw recipe for hot Italian giardiniera, my attraction for this pickled food swelled into adoration.  Why?  Because it makes a gorgeous not to mention tasty antipasto, side dish, or sandwich/cracker condiment.  And because it’s raw  it also offers all the benefits of eating nutrient rich and detoxifying food.  If you don’t include jalapeno peppers, it can also be a cooling food in the heat of summer.

I like this recipe because it always comes out well even if I adjust the ratios of vegetables based on what I have in my refrigerator. Be creative and make substitutions for the vegetables listed below – for example, use any and all colors of peppers; tender green beans and broccoli are great additions too. My own preferences are for a moderate level of spicy hot so I use only 4 jalapeno peppers and leave out the carrot.  I use my cuisinart to slice up all the vegetables and usually double the batch because it is really beautiful summer food and we like to have it around.  Enjoy!

 Hot Italian Giardiniera Recipe

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com

2 green bell peppers, diced

2 red bell peppers, diced

8 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced

1 celery stalk, diced

1 medium carrot, diced

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cauliflower florets

1/2 cup salt

water to cover

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 (5 ounce) jar pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped

1 cup white vinegar

1 cup olive oil

Directions

Place into a bowl the green and red peppers, jalapenos, celery, carrots, onion, andcauliflower. Stir in salt, and fill with enough cold water to cover. Place plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the bowl, and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, drain salty water, and rinse vegetables. In a bowl, mix together garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and olives. Pour in vinegar and olive oil, and mix well. Combine with vegetable mixture, cover, and refrigerate for 2 days before using.

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Shio-Koji

IMG_0618If you are looking to add more fermented foods into your diet this summer, try making shio-koji(salt koji).  It’s uber-easy and extra tasty. Koji, rice inoculated with the Aspergillus oryzae spores, is commonly used in making traditional Japanese fermented foods like miso, sake and soy sauce, but it is also used to make this salt seasoning which is made from just three ingredients: koji, salt and water. Left on the kitchen counter for one to two weeks, and stirred once a day, it will ferment into sweet/salty creaminess.

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Although it can be used  simply as a salt substitute on all foods, one of my favorite ways to use shio-koji is for an overnight ferment on garden vegetables like root vegetables (especially radishes and turnips), or sugar snap peas, peppers and cucumbers.  Immerse vegetables (whole or sliced) into the mixture; the next day serve them as side dishes to meals or add them in salads.

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On raw salads, I enjoy using shio-koji is as a stand alone addition or in a dressing of olive oil and rice wine vinegar.  One tablespoon will give that mystifying savory sweet & salty umami taste which will keep your dinner guests guessing and wanting more.

A common and delicious way to use shio-koji is as a marinade for tofu, beef, pork, chicken or fish.  It tenderizes and brings out natural umami. Just coat your tofu, meat or fish with the shio-koji and put it in the refrigerator overnight, then bake or grill.

I know I sound all ga-ga about shio-koji, just like the nukazuke pickles, but it’s the kind of stuff I love having around my kitchen because it lends itself to experimentation and fermentation is my preferred method to get probiotics into my body.  With lots of fresh garden veggies and summer grilling, shio-koji brings sparkly savory sweet/salty flavors to the table.  If you make shio-koji, let me know all the ways you use it.

You can buy koji at most Asian Markets in the refrigerated section. Cold Mountain sells Koji in a 16 ounze container. I like to double or triple this recipe for a larger batch. This is a 6 ferment which lasts longer than a 3 percent ferment and has a sharp clean flavor.

Shio-koji Recipe

from Miso, Tempeh, Natto and other tasty ferments by Kristen and Christopher Shockey

3 tablespoons salt

1.5 cups dried koji

2-3 cups water, boiled and cooled, to fill quart jar.

Mix salt and koji in a bowl and mix well. Place mixture in quart jar and add water.  Cover with cheesecloth and secure with rubber band.  Ferment for 1-2 weeks.  Outside temperatures will influence how long it takes to ferment.  Stir every day.  It’s ready when the sharply salty taste balances with a sweet taste. Keep in refrigerator in glass container with lid.

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Ritual Grief Shopping

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May 30th was the 49th day after my mother’s death.   I, who still had the urge to do for my mother, followed the Buddhist grief ritual of reciting the Heart Sutra for 49 days after her death. It is believed that by reciting the Heart Sutra, one can help the mind/spirit of the departed by encouraging them to let go of their earthly attachments and move toward their own enlightenment.  Basically, the sutra speaks to the fundamental emptiness of all phenomena.  Because in my grief my days have felt empty and vague, almost vaporous, I could relate to the contemplation.

But when day 49 came along, I wanted to not just recite the Heart Sutra, I wanted to give my mother one more taste of earthly life before sending her off to the next rebirth or whatever.   So, to lighten things up a bit, I invited my mother’s spirit to join me on a four store food-shopping extravaganza.  She, or my mental hologram of her anyways, came along as I bought specialty foods for our upcoming month long hiking expedition on the John Muir Trail.

When she was alive, she had a true hunter-gatherer’s love and fortitude for shopping so I had no doubt she would be up for this adventure.  In my mind’s eye, I could still clearly see her in each store browsing the aisles, studying the deli selections and searching for bargains.  We ended the day at Costco. It was probably not the best choice to end there because my mother might have been tempted to haunt the food sample carts for the rest of her spiritual life.   How can one really let go when there is so much free food being handed to you?

When our domestic duty was completed, and the contents of the grocery bags were put away in the refrigerator or cabinets, I sat down on the couch, and wept while reciting the Heart Sutra.  Letting her go one more time tore open the temporary sutures that were holding together my own broken heart. I realized there was nothing more I could do for my mother.  The doing was over, but just being with her as a spiritual mother was just beginning. How we move through space and time will never be the same; now we move together as free spirits, whirling through each other’s empty heart space, unencumbered.

I can hear her saying, “Enlightenment…..the Buddhist enlightenment is very nice, but you really should try the Jewish version.”

Video by Claudia Groom, Costco parking lot, Tukwila, WA.