Italian Week — Marinated Olives

Marinated Olives
Reviewing my Italian week line-up, I realized that unless you’re carb-loading for a marathon, you’ll need a break from the starch I’m about to foist upon you before the week’s over. Stromboli, risotto, spaghetti and gnocchi are all wonderful, but I can feel my waistband stretching at the very thought.

Since I’m blogging about beer today at Accidental Hedonist, I thought I’d give you a salty, spicy snack to go with the brew. And gorgeous Italian olives fit the bill. Even Atkins devotees can indulge in this, low-carb, heart-healthy antipasto.

This is my own variation of two olive recipes from Viana La Place’s Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style. Inflamed Green Olives (Olive Verdi Infocate) were on one page and Perfumed Black Olives (Olive Profumate) on the other, and since I can’t resist the spicy mixed olives from the local Italian green grocer’s, I thought I’d toss the two together and see what happened. In sampling, I reduced the chile and bumped up the orange. The results were delicious even if they created a whole new problem — The dish lacks an authentic name.

My Italian consists mainly of emphatic gestures and bad French spoken in what’s most likely an even worse Sicilian accent. So, what’s Italian for Spicy Mixed Olives with Garlic and Orange? Francesca, can you help? Anyone?

In the meantime, mangia, mangia!

Potentially Unauthentic Spicy Mixed Olives with Garlic and Orange
Printable recipe

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup green olives in brine, drained
  • 1 cup black olives in brine, drained
  • 1/2 red chile pepper, seeded and minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme (I used lemon thyme)
  • extra-virgin olive oil, enough to moisten olives

Instructions

  1. Toss everything together in a pretty bowl.
  2. Let flavours mingle for a couple of hours — if you can wait that long.
  3. Serve at room temperature with bread.