Giardiniera: Italian-Style Mixed Pickled Vegetables Recipe

These are the colorful, tangy mixed vegetable pickles graced with olive oil that show up as part of your antipasto plate before the main food arrives in italian restaurants. They are easy to make and delicious. The oil in this recipe is used more as a flavoring than as a preservation factor, so be sure to use a good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Also, the oil will congeal in the refrigerator, so let the giardiniera come to room temperature for the olive oil to re-liquify before serving.