Artichoke Olive Condite
an Artichoke Salad
makes about a gallon
I loved the olive condite on New Orleans muffaletta, and came up with this variation when I moved away from the Gulf Coast. When I get to my warehouse store to buy a half gallon of artichoke hearts, I make a gallon- my friends are always looking for a jar of this- and I keep a 2 quart jar of this mix in my refrigerator all the time. I use it as a simple lunch with soup, chopped coarsely to garnish green salads or as a filling for enchiladas. Dice up some feta or white cheese and mix it in to make a fast party appetizer. The salad is also good diced into a bruschetta spread for crackers and sandwiches.
I use a combination of fresh cooked and marinated canned vegetables. Many commercial marinated vegetables have too much vinegar- it's much cheaper than good olive oil. So drain them! The reason for the rinsing and draining is to get rid of extra salt and cheap vinegar. If you are going to store the mixture for a few weeks, use only blanched, cooked or canned vegetables. Raw vegetables are loaded with bacteria that cause fermenting or spoiling.
Base:
artichoke hearts, 1/2 gallon, drained, woody stems or tops removed
Add ins: mix in 1/2 gallon total, drain and rinse in a strainer before adding:
roasted red pepper strips
stemmed and seeded sweet pepperoncini or sweet banana pepper rings
black olives
crushed salad olives with pimento
capers
cauliflower, thin slice and blanch
carrots, matchsticks or thin circles, thin slice and blanch
celery, thin sliced across the stalks, thin slice and blanch
Italian green beans (canned and drained, or frozen lightly cooked)
Dressing, mix together,
olive oil
rice wine vinegar diluted with equal part distilled water
Toss all the vegetables together. Cover with dressing, store covered.
