If you’re a fan of Greek cuisine, you’ll notice that we don’t include olives in many of our dishes. Rather, we like to have olives included at our table, to be included with the meal or as part of an array of Mezedes (appetizers).
Olives are almost always present on the Greek table. The variety of olives are infinite and a Greek can endlessly argue as to which kind are the best, the tastiest.
I’ve been called a “food snob” (I don’t know why) but I’m not too fussy when it comes to olives…as long as they aren’t too salty, I luv’em!
Here, I’m showing you one way to dress your olives, that is by marinating them. I found this recipe in a booklet that showcased some Spanish dishes. These olives would, no doubt, appear at a table in Spain or Greece.
Use this method as a base to marinate your own olives with your favourite flavours. Try lemon peel, coriander seeds, rosemary or any other combiantions of herbs and spices. This method works best with olives that have been simply jarred in a brine.
Olive is a fruit. It is native to the whole region surrounding the Mediterranean. Olives and it’s derivative are heart healthy as they are concentrated in monosaturated fats and they are a good source of vitamin E.
I’m offering this post as my entry for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen.
Marinated Olives
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 bay leaves
1 clove of garlic, thinly
wide strip of orange rind
1/2 tsp finely chopped red chilli
a few whole peppercorns
2 cups of green olives
- Combine oil, vinegar, bay leaves and garlic in a small saucepan and place over low heat until just warm. Remove from heat, add orange rind, chilli, peppercorns and then combine with olives in a bowl.
- Stand olives for at least 3 hours before serving at room temperature.
- Olives will keep airtight in a container/jar for up to a week.
11 Responses
I’m totally with you on the olives. I love every type of olive that I’ve tried. This is something I’ve been meaning to make for the longest time; I think it sounds wonderful!
I’d still love to stay with Costas * Aglaia and pick olives with them during the season at their place on Kea. Aglaia also makes olive spoon sweets.
What a lovely picture. I like all olives, I marinated some last year but didn’t care for them very much. And I didn’t know olives were a fruit!
I’m mad about olives but have never tried marinated my own.
Drooling over that picture!
I love olives! They are always in the fridge and on the plates (esp. first course) for garnish. I just wish we could get nicer ones here. They were so wonderful inn Spain and Andorra. Guess I’ll just have to make my own…now that I have a recipe…
Unfortunately I’m the only one in my family who loves olives and my relatives from Lakonia have sent me tons them. However, my favourite from all is “tsakistes” but the way we make them in Cyprus, with garlic and corriander seeds. I didn’t know that olives can be made into spoon sweets. How interesting.
Those olives look awesome Peter! We love olives and I always have a bowl on the table whenever we have guests and, when there are no guests I find myself, fork in hand, making trips to the fridge for an olive fix during the day.
Ivy, the “tsakistes” are my favourites too! I have some I brought back from Halkidiki.
Marinating olives sounds like fun. Your olives look really good!
I LOVE olives too!!! Here in Spain, as you say, have so many different kinds… mmmmmmmmm, delicious!
Beautiful picture, Peter!
I love olives too. But due to the warm weather here, mine stayed too small to harvest. Have to buy some and marinate them.
Great picture!!
Happy New Year!!