Marinated veggies add Italian flavor

A reader writes: An Italian restaurant in New York had vegetables waiting on a side table, not refrigerated. They were served with bread to soak up their juices. The taste was halfway between pickled and marinated. Was it authentic Italian?

By LYNNE ROSSETTO KASPER

Last update: August 26, 2009 - 11:59 AM

Q An Italian restaurant in New York had vegetables waiting on a side table, not refrigerated. They were served before the meal and with bread to soak up their juices. Our kids treat vegetables like poison, but these they liked. The taste was halfway between pickled and marinated, especially the carrots (which I never think of as an Italian vegetable) and the zucchini. Was this a New York specialty, or was it authentic Italian?

A You had what is often for me one of the two best parts of an Italian meal: antipasto. (Pasta is my other addiction.) "Antipasto" literally translates as "before the meal," with "pasto" meaning "meal." Every part of Italy has its own specialties, so I might not nail the recipe to duplicate exactly what you had, yet these two recipes should be close. A nice thing here is you've got to make them ahead. A couple of days in the refrigerator improves the carrots.

Remember to serve the vegetables at room temperature (not cold), with lots of bread, just as you had them in New York. In fact, in high summer, these, some cheese, a salad and maybe watermelon for dessert could be dinner. Bet you can even get this menu past the kids.

Lynne Rossetto Kasper hosts "The Splendid Table" radio show from American Public Media, and is the co-author of "The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper." To reach her, see www.splendidtable.org.