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Friday, June 13, 2008

Spiced Olives



Sometimes I forget how fond I am of olives. So often olives go in foods (puttanesca, olive and caper sauce) or on top of foods (pizza, olive-crusted bread), that I momentarily cease to recall that my favorite lunch in Israel was a simple meal of pita, olives, and hummus. With their tender, explosive flavor, an olive wrapped in a bit of bread is one of the most earthy, fundamental culinary experiences (at least, that is, if you like olives. My mother still struggles valiantly to reconcile her taste buds with olives).



Fixing spiced olives always reminds me of their magic, and transports me to rows of twisted, gnarled, impossibly graceful olive trees...

After having spent the past semester in a nursing home for gerontological clinicals, I am now so thankful for the ability to remember, to travel in my mind to times and places past, and return unfettered to the present... and more than ever, I am reminded, by the smiles of our patients, by the times they laughed with us over the littlest things, to savor every little reason to celebrate living.

Sauteed Spiced Olives

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
12 ounces mixed olives, whatever kinds you fancy - a mixture of colors will give you the most dramatic presentation
~ Combine all the ingredients, except the olives, in a medium skillet, and swirl to combine. Saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture perfumes the room - approx. 3 to 4 minutes.
~ Add the olives and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is golden brown - approx. 5 minutes.
~ Serve warm, straight from the skillet, with hot, fresh-baked bread...


7 comments:

  1. I love olives, too, but have never baked them just on their own--this sounds fabulous!

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  2. I've actually never been a fan of olives, but those spiced ones look pretty good!! :0)

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  3. I could eat olives every single day, seriously. Yes, pita, olives and hummus .. not much to top that.

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  4. Ricki, Many thanks! Three-cheers for a fellow olive fan! :-)

    VeggieGirl, my mom will be glad to know that she's not alone in the olive-skeptics club... :-)

    Lisa, me too!

    CookieMouse, hooray for olives! :-)

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  5. There's nothing like the briny kick of olives. Love the sound of this recipe, an easy but elegant first course or treat when you've got that salt craving.

    (P.S. - Of course, you can reference me in a future gumbo post, Astra. I'll bet others would be interested in the nuances of ingredients, too.)

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