Spicy Vegetable Pickles: la Spiritosa

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli with 4-inch stalks cut into florets
• 5 pinches chile flakes hot
• 2 medium japanese eggplants cut into 1/ medallions
• 0.5 pound green beans 
• 20  mint leaves 
• 1 cup olive oil extra-virgin divided
• 3  bell peppers red cut into 1/ strips
• 5 tablespoons sugar 
• 2.5 cups citrus champagne vinegar 
• 2 medium zucchini cut into 1/ medallions

Equipment

• frying pan
• wooden spoon

Directions

1. In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan, heat 1/5 of the oil until just smoking.
2. Saute each vegetable until tender and golden brown and remove each to a platter when finished cooking. To the pan, add vinegar, mint leaves, sugar and a pinch of hot chile flakes and stir with a wooden spoon over heat to dislodge the browned vegetable sugars in the pan.
3. Pour the vinegar mixture over each of the 5 vegetables.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.