Best Antipasto

Not a platter, but a chunky, tangy antipasto relish you cook up by the kettle and spread on crackers. It’s a holiday tradition in many Italian-Canadian kitchens, made in big batches to jar, gift, and pull out whenever company drops by.

The lineup is generous: cauliflower, green beans, sweet and green peppers, mushrooms, pickled onions, and cucumbers, plus olives, tuna, and anchovies for briny, savory depth.

Cooking the vegetables in stages is the key to texture. Blanching the firmer ones first, then simmering everything together briefly, keeps them tender-crisp instead of mushy in the tangy ketchup-and-vinegar base.

Break up the tuna and separate the anchovies as they go in so they distribute evenly through the mix rather than clumping.

Let it cool, then jar or refrigerate it. The flavors deepen as it sits, so it’s genuinely better after a day or two. Serve it as an appetizer with crackers or crostini for a crowd.

Kitchen Tips

• Blanch the firmer vegetables only briefly so they stay tender-crisp, not soft, in the finished relish.
• Break up the tuna and separate the anchovies as you add them so they spread evenly through the mix.
• Make it a day or two ahead; the flavor deepens as it rests in the fridge.

Variations

• Adjust the heat with a pinch of red pepper flakes or chopped hot peppers.
• Leave out the anchovies and tuna for a vegetable-only antipasto.
• Add artichoke hearts, carrots, or pearl onions to the vegetable mix.