Saturday, November 3, 2012

Marinated Olives

I ran across this recipe last month when I was looking for a recipe to make for the SRC.   I was actually wavering between this one and the Tomato Gratin I eventually made.   And the only reason for making the one I did, well, we had a potluck to go to, and I thought it sounded good for that.   However, I did save this link to Jane's awesome olive recipe.    I thought it sounded so intriguing.  And something that would be fun to do.  Well, I didn't get it made for the October Tapa's night, but I made it the other day anyway cause I had lots of black olives left over from my Spider Cake, and I couldn't waste them, could I?   And since I also had a jar of green olives in the cupboard it was a no-brainer that I had to make them now.   And gee, somewhere along the way a jar of Kalamata olives jumped into my grocery cart as well.
Marinated Olives

So here it is, and I have to admit to forgetting to add the zest of lemon and orange to it, but honestly, they were good.   I took them with me last night to a gathering and asked everyone's opinion on them as well.   I got a thumbs up from everyone, and in fact ended up with only a few olives left to take home.

Warm up about 1/2 cup or so of Olive Oil, I used EVOO cause that's what I had.  Add about 1 Tablespoon of Herb de Provence, and 1/2 teaspoon of hot pepper flakes, I let it get fairly warm, but not hot, then dumped in the olives and garlic and let it all heat up again.  It really smells good when it's heating up.  I added about 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar to the pot, gave it a stir and I then let it cool down in the pot before transferring the whole thing to a quart mason jar.   And I did taste test a few along the way, cause otherwise how do you know if it's any good?
  Store in the fridge until needed, sampling a few along the way.   Olive Oil will solidify a little when refrigerated, so don't PANIC when you open the fridge and it looks like a big clump is in the jar. Just take out what you want and let them sit out for a little while before serving.   The olive oil works as a confit and helps to preserve the olives by the way. 

Marinated Olives
   You can change it up with dried basil or thyme or oregano or a mixture of all of them just make up 1 T.Add the zest of an orange and the zest of a lemon. Finish with a splash of balsamic and heat for 2 minutes.











yield: 3 cupsprint recipe

Marinated Olives

prep time: 5 MINScook time: 5 MINStotal time: 10 mins
This is a great appetizer to have on hand, it keeps for weeks in the fridge, and is ready to go in seconds. I've even put it into the food processor and used it on Muffelettas.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/2 cup Olive Oil
  • 1 cup green Olives or one jar, drained
  • 1 can black olives, drained
  • 1 cup Kalamata Olives, drained
  • 2 cloves garlic, slivered
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 TBS. Herb de Provence or your favorite herbs, basil, rosemary, marjoram equalling 1 tablespoon
  • Zest from one orange and one lemon
  • 1-2 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar (a good hearty splash)

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Heat the Oil and seasonings until hot then add the olives, add the splash of Balsamic vinegar, then pour into a jar and let cool. Or start eating while still warm. This goes great with a platter of cured meats like salami and some good crusty bread.
Created using The Recipes Generator
I want to add that I've made this several times now and found out that little cubes of Feta go great with this.  As does fresh Mozzarella.  
Sidsel Munkholm - Author
Sidsel Munkholm - Author

Sid loves to cook, feed people and have fun in the kitchen. She shares her successes and the involuntary offerings she sometimes gives the kitchen goddess as well. And she's still looking for the mythical fairy to help her clean the kitchen after a marathon cooking session. Currently working on a cookbook showcasing the recipes from her Danish heritage.

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