Calabrese Antipasto

Ingredients

• 1 cauliflower
• cut into bite-size florets
• 4 carrots
• peeled and cut on the diagnnal into 1/2.-inch-thick slices
• 4 inner celery ribs
• cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 3/4 pound small fresh button mushrooms
• 1 jar (7 1/2 ounces) peperoncini (pickled green peppers)
• 1 can (7 ounces or 200 grams) imported olive oil-packed tuna
• drained
• 1 tin (2 ounces) anchovies with capers
• drained
• 1 can (3 ounces) pitted black olives
• drained
• 1 jar (5 ounces) pimiento-stuffed Spanish olives
• drained
• 1 jar (12 ounces) baby kosher dill pickles
• drained and sliced % inch thick
• 1 jar (7 1/2 ounces) pickled onions
• drained
• 2 jars (6 1/2 ounces each) marinated artichoke hearts
• drained
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• minced
• 3/4 cup canned tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
• Sea salt
• preferably gray salt
• Caye

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it generously.
2. Blanch the cauliflower for about 2 minutes; it should still be crisp.
3. With a skimmer, transfer the florets to a tray to cool quickly.
4. Repeat with the carrots and then with the celery, cooking them just long enough to remove their raw taste; they will be cooked more later.
5. Add the white wine vinegar to the water and blanch the mushrooms for 1 minute.
6. (The vinegar will keep the mushrooms white.)
7. Drain and spread the mushrooms on a tray to cool quickly.
8. Put the cauliflower, carrots, celery, and mushrooms in a large bowl.
9. Add the peperoncini, tuna, anchovies, olives, pickles, onions, and artichoke hearts.
10. Toss well.
11. Make the sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over moderate heat.
12. Add the garlic and saute until golden.
13. Add the tomato sauce, ketchup, lemon juice, tarragon vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and salt and cayenne pepper to taste.
14. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
15. Add the contents of the bowl.
16. Stir well, then cover and simmer gently until the carrots are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
17. Cool, then refrigerate.