WCC No. 16 - Something New!

When my friend, Sara of i like to cook, announced the theme for this month's Weekend Cookbook Challenge, "Something New" I knew exactly what I'd be submitting. I had actually made this recipe a few days before her announcement and have been saving it ever since. Originally, what I was going for was kind of shady in my mind. I kept thinking of this concoction my father use to make - it was basically sliced peppers in olive oil with a bunch of spices. YUM. But I wanted something a little more substantial - something with lots of veggies. Something I could spread on crackers, use as a bruschetta topping or serve with crudités. Something that was savory and filling that would be the perfect nibbler during Boston Legal (Ohhh Alan & Denny - you make the best couple EVER) or served to friends who come over for cards or just to hang out. So this is a "new" recipe, something I've never had before and so far, something that my friends had never had either.. everyone of them has asked for the recipe. It's that good. Although this isn't an oil based antipasto like I had originally thought to make, it is as delicious as my dad's peppers and I just wish he was here to try it - he'd go crazy over this stuff! You've got tons of different veggies, Italian tuna and anchovies bathed in a light tomato sauce. Warm or cold, spread on crackers or a big slice of crusty bread - this antipasto is what I like to rate as "drool worthy" in the spirit of Elaine Benes' "sponge worthy". The flavors all work so well with each other and the tuna and anchovies give it just the right amount of salty goodness. I'd say the only drawbacks of this recipe is that it's kind of expensive to make - but you do get a BOATLOAD of it. The original recipe made 15 pints. FIFTEEN. So it all evens out in the end. I halved this recipe, as the only other drawback is space. I don't can things, I'm afraid of it.. I tried tomatoes one time and it was just a disaster - especially 2 months later *shudder* - so I chose to freeze the bulk of this and even with 3 freezers, it's hard to find room for 8 bags of antipasto. hehe And one other thing, before I share the recipe, is that if you decide to make this delicious antipasto, don't make the same mistake that I did by cutting the veggies too big. You definitely want to spend the extra time in dicing most of the vegetables. (you can get more on the cracker that way.. heehehe) Antipasto Courtesy of Derf and Recipezaar Recipe makes 15 pints 2 large green peppers (I used yellow because they're my favorites) 4 large carrots 2 cans pitted black olives 1 (16 oz.) jar broken green olives 2 (12 oz.) jars pickling onions 2 (4 oz.) jars pimientos 1 (48 oz.) jar sweet pickles (I substituted these with asparagus tips) 1 large cauliflower 8 oz. olive oil 5 cloves garlic, smashed 2 (15 oz.) bottles ketchup 1 (15 oz.) bottle hot ketchup (I omitted this as well, didn't know what it was) 1 cup red wine 2 (5 1/2 oz.) cans tomato paste 1 TBS. dried oregano 2 (14 oz.) cans artichokes 2 (10 oz.) cans mushroom pieces 2 cans anchovies, chopped (Even when halving the recipe, I only used 1/2 of 1 jar) 3 (7 oz.) cans Italian tuna Chop green peppers, cut carrots into julienne strips. Chop ripe olives, green olives, pickled onions, pimiento, sweet pickle and set aside. Break cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Put 2 oz. of olive oil into frying pan and add 2 cloves garlic, add cauliflower and saute. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large pot add remaining olive oil and saute the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, add ketchup, wine, tomato paste and oregano. Add chopped vegetables, pickles, olives, artichokes, pimiento, cauliflower and mushrooms. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add anchovies and tuna to mixture and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Serve for use immediately, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, place in containers for freezing or place immediately in hot sterilized jars.* *Note: If you are going to can this recipe, I suggest you read the comments on the recipezaar site - it could be dangerous canning low acid foods such as olives and seafood. If you've got the room, I recommend freezing - this way you'll have no worries. =)