As many of you already know, I am a true-blue, through and through North Island girl.
What many of you may not know is that my childhood and the majority of my teen years happened in Happy Holberg being a bush bunny, singing the Holberg Lament and wearing the oh-so-stylish Holberg Mink!
So when my editor asked me to use this issue of my column for a recipe that came from the North Island and one that I had successfully made numerous times, I instantly thought of this recipe submitted by Debbie Anderson in Our Favourite Recipes — Holberg Community Cookbook.
All the recipes in the cookbook were contributed by the members of the Holberg Ladies Club.
Many a childhood Christmas saw my family enjoying this on crackers.
I don’t know why but we only seemed to make this for the Christmas season but now I make it anytime I want to enjoy the salty, sour loveliness of it all.
So without any further ado here is the recipe.
Antipasto
2 jars of sour small onions – drained – left whole
1 24 oz. jar of dill pickles – drained and chopped
2 tins long green beans – drained and chopped
5 tins of button mushrooms – drained – you can leave the whole or chop them
4 seeded and chopped green peppers
2 drained jars of pimento
1 bunch of chopped carrots
6 stalks of chopped celery
3 or 4-large bottles of Heinz Chili Sauce
1 ½ c.-white vinegar
¾ c.-olive oil
Place the above ingredients in a large pot and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Then add:
2 large jars of drained and chopped stuffed green olives
4 tins of drained and chopped pitted black olives
4 tins of drained and broken up tuna
1 tbsp tabasco sauce
Stir to incorporate completely.
Put in containers and freeze or put in mason jars and can according to instructions on a canning website or book.Serve with a variety of crackers and cream cheese, if you like.
Kellie Dukes is a chef who lives in Port Hardy.