Olive Recipes

Olive recipes... the perfect apetizers to accompanie your pasta meals.

CHILLI GARLIC OLIVES

Rinse and drains 500 g (1 lb) of brined "KalaMata" olives. Make a small incision in the side of each olive. Layer the olives in a sterilized jar with fine strips of orange rind, 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, 4 halved small red chillies, 2 finelly sliced cloves of garlic and 4 sprigs of rosemary.Combine 2 tablespoons of lemon juice with 1 cup (250 ml -1/8 fl oz) of olive oil and pour it over the olives. Add extra olive oil to cover, if necessary. Cover and marinate in a cool dark place for 2 weeks.

OLIVE AND TOMATO TAPENADE

Soak 3 anchovy fillets in milk for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain.

Roughly chop the anchovies, 1 cup (155 g - 5 oz) of pitted black Niçoise olives, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons chopped capers and the filed of 1 lemon in a food processor for a few seconds.

Transfer to a bowl, add 1/2 cup (80 g - 2-3/4 oz) chopped sun dried tomato, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoons of chopped parsley and 2 tablespoons of extra virgen olive oil.

Serve on sliced woodfried Italian bread.

SAUTEED BLACK OLIVES

Soak 500 g (1 Lb) wrinkled cured black olives in warm water over night. Rinse and drain.

Heat 3 tablespoolas of oil in a large frying pan, add 1 sliced onion and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes

Add the olives and cook for 10 minutes or until soft.

Remove the olives and onion with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander

Add several sprigs of oregano, toss and cool completly.

Transfer to a sterilized jar. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.

When olives

For these reasons, green olives need to be treated differently to black olives to become edible, and it also helps explain why there is such a contrast in flavor and texture between them.