Gourmet Olives

Olive oil and olives are popular items in many kitchens and we usually don’t think too much about them. We know they are Mediterranean and good for your heart, but did you realize that their uses date back to biblical times. After the great flood, Noah sent out a dove carrying an olive leaf and olive was used to fuel crude lamps over 6000 years ago.

Today in modern grocery stores there are dozens of gourmet olives widely available. Gone are the days of canned black olives and green olives with pimentos as the only choices. For those of us who remember the days of opening a can of black olives and placing one on each finger then systematically biting them off here is the new olive.

Alfonsos: This olive goes great in antipastos and has a winey sort of taste. It is very robust.

Green olives with herbs de Provence: Now here is a different tasting olive which has a citrus flavor and is a blend of herbs de Provence spices and large green olives. It is an excellent choice to use in surf dishes and with sweet spices.

Halkididis: This olive has a tangy flavor and is great to mix into cream cheese along with garlic - makes for a great spread or dip.

Kalamatas: A tangy black olive cured in red-wine vinegar that can be from Italy or California. The California variety is denoted with a 'c' spelling rather than a 'k'.

Lucques: This olive does have a pit but is spectacular with provolone cheese and bruchetta as it has a buttery, meaty taste.

Mount Athos green with Sicilian herbs: This is a second olive that utilizes herbs to dominate the pallet. Rosemary, garlic, mustard seed, and red pepper flakes give this olive a spicy appeal.

Mount Athos green stuffed with garlic: For a modern twist on the martini this olive is an excellent choice. It is stuffed with rich flavorful garlic and lends itself well to pizza as well as martinis.

Mount Athos green olives with sun-dried tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes give this heavy olive an intense flavor that is sophisticated and ideal for snacking.

Nicoises: This is a popular salad olive due to it’s earthy rich taste. It is cured in red wine vinegar which gives it it’s unusual flavor.

Sun-dried olives: Sun dried olives have a rich flavor and are great to use in sauces and with pasta.