Giardiniera

Eastside Road, Healdsburg, March 26, 2009

LINDSEY'S FATHER was born in Italy, and for a few years her aunt and some of her uncles — her grandmother too — lived on the family farm. That didn't last long, unfortunately; by the time I met her they were all returned up to Washington State, all except Uncle Vic who lived in San Francisco and drove up on weekends in the summer, bringing pastry from the old Victoria Bakery, and cheeses, and salume, and other nice things.
Aunt Victoria had returned to Seattle, where she had an imposing vegetable garden, and a true bay tree, and a bottle of Canadian Club in the kitchen cabinet to add a drop or two to her after-dinner coffee. And, of course, she made giardiniera.
Lindsey made a batch for a first course for last night's dinner, using pickled vegetables I'd bought at the Middle-East grocery I like in Berkeley — Sadaf, made in Greece. She combined them with a can of that delicious Ortiz bonito, and added half a little jar of equally delicious "bio" tomato paste, also Spanish, Vita Vella is the brand. No one complained! Afterward, pasta with walnut sauce, and the green salad.

Cheap Pinot grigio; white Rioja Marques de Caceres