Late this past week I registered for the Lululemon Seawheeze virtual half-marathon! Officially committing myself to running 13.1 miles in late September and spending the summer training in the sometimes oppressive midwest heat and humidity. Earlier this spring I made the decision to train solo. I had vacillated between rejoining the half-marathon running group or repeating last summer's solitary running plan. Ever since I first started running more than twenty-five years ago, I have never been able to master the whole talking while running thing. Which makes me 'not the most fun person' when running in a pack. It's one of those rare moments when I am not my normally chatty self. So, as much as I love and benefit from the camaraderie that comes from running with others, this will be the summer of digging deeper into my resiliency and working on my mental toughness (my Achilles heel). When running alone I keep my mind occupied with music, holding silent but sometimes spirited conversations with myself, and thinking about all the foods I want to make to keep my head preoccupied. On one of my recent runs, my food thoughts skewed to the savory rather than sweet side. Recipe ideas for brined pork chops, basil butter, and marinated olives helped to keep me distracted for at least two miles.
I am always woefully disappointed when the small dish of olive oil marinated vegetables and a pittance of olives is brought to the table at one of my favorite Italian restaurants. So the idea of serving a whole bowl of marinated olives, maybe served with thick slices of grilled or fresh bread and some basil butter or maybe served on a charcuterie board sounded a bit luxurious. And as it happened I picked up some beautiful pitted Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives at the Farmer's Marker earlier in the week.
One of the nice things about making Marinated Olives is that they can be made earlier in the day or the day before, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated right before serving. Because they store well in the refrigerator, you always have a ready appetizer for an impromptu gathering. Not only are homemade Marinated Olives so much better than anything you might pick up at the grocery store, you never have to wonder how long they have been sitting out on the olive bar or in the deli section.
Starting with the pitted Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives, the other ingredients include fennel seeds, crushed red pepper, bay leaves, fresh garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, wide zests of both a lemon and orange, and some good quality extra-virgin olive oil. Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives happen be my favorites and I like the flavor and color combination of the two. However, feel free to use just one or any other of your favorite imported olives.
To optimize the flavor of the fennel seeds, heat them in the saucepan until they become fragrant (about 2-3 minutes). Then add all of the other remaining ingredients and cook over low heat for about 8-10 minutes. Just until the olive oil begins to lightly bubble (not boil) and everything is heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and let the olives cool down slightly.
Marinated olives can be served slightly warm or at room temperature. If you make the olives ahead of time, they become even more flavorful as the heat from the crushed red pepper, the pungency of the garlic, the mild lemon and orange citrusiness and the aromatic rosemary shines through.
You can remove the cooked rosemary from the marinade or let it remain. I removed mine and added a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to the serving dish. Because the color of the lemon and orange peels will fade when cooked in the extra virgin olive oil, I topped the Marinated Olives with a couple of pieces of the reserved lemon and orange zest.
This may be one of the simplest, most impressive appetizers you can make. Olive lovers will be transported to olive heaven when the dish of Marinated Olives is brought to the table. If serving only the Marinated Olives as an appetizer, definitely serve them with some fresh or grilled (French, Italian, or Sourdough) bread to use to dip into the luscious olive oil marinade.
Between the healthy fats in the olives/olive oil and the carbs in the bread, this may also be the perfect 'night before a long run' appetizer for your olive loving running friends.
Recipe
Marinated Olives
Ingredients
2 cups (about 290g) pitted, drained olives (recommend a combination of Castelvetrano and Kalamata olives)
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (but if you like your marinated olives a little spicier, use up to 1 teaspoon)
2-3 cloves of garlic, each cut into 2-3 pieces
Zest of a lemon (cut into wide strips), reserve two strips for garnishing
Zest of an orange (cut into wide strips), reserve two strips for garnishing
2 bay leaves
2 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 to 1 1/4 cups good quality extra virgin olive oil
Optional: Fresh flower and/or fresh rosemary sprig garnish
Directions
1. In a medium sized skillet and over low heat toast the fennel seeds, stirring frequently, until they become fragrant (approximately 2-3 minutes).
2. Add in all of the remaining ingredients. Continue cooking over low heat for 8-10 minutes until the olive oil is gently bubbling and all of the ingredients have been warmed through.
3. Turn off heat, remove pan from burner and allow the mixture to to cool to room temperature. Note: Allowing the olives to marinate for at least an hour makes them incredibly flavorful.
4. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Add in the reserved lemon and orange strips and top with a flower and/or fresh rosemary garnish (if using).
5. Serve the marinated olives with either some thickly sliced fresh or grilled artisan/sourdough bread and some whipped feta an/or an herb butter.
Notes: (1) When buying olives, buy only ones packed in brine, not in olive oil. (2) You can make the olives ahead. Transfer the cooled olives to a jar or tightly covered bowl and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, reheat the mixture (the olive oil will solidify when chilled) until warmed. Let cool slightly before serving or let cool completely. (3) The marinated olives can be stored in the refrigerator for up to to two weeks!
Denver Botanic Gardens, Colorado, May 2021