Prepare your own spicy olive medley for spring entertaining

When I was young, my mom bought two types of olives, canned black olives and pimento-stuffed green olives, and I loved both of them. At our house, they were primarily served on relish trays alongside cream cheese stuffed celery or, if I'm honest, stuck onto the ends of the fingers of my sisters and me.

While many years ago, my mom was limited in her choices of olives, today, we have endless options, especially if you know where to look. Many grocery stores now offer olive bars stocked with multiple varieties, both black and green. And in case you still don't see what you are looking for, try the European and Middle Eastern sections, where you will likely find even more.

Olives grow on trees and are technically a fruit, are in the “drupe” family, and are cousins of the peach, cherries and other stone fruits. Olives that are black or dark purple have been picked when they are ripe, and anything green is picked at the start of the harvest season and is not ripe at all.

Olive trees have been known to live very long lives and thrive in regions also known for their wine production, which is why some California wineries also sell olive oil.

I remember first seeing an olive tree full of green olives. Despite being warned about the bitter flavor right off the tree, I was so intrigued that I decided to try one anyway. Well, they were right; the olive tasted nothing like what I was used to and was actually not pleasant at all.

This is because, by the time olives get to us, they have been treated in one of several different ways depending on the olive and the desired finished fruit.

Some are brine-cured or fermented in salt water for up to a year before being ready to eat, while others are water-cured or soaked and rinsed multiple times before being transferred to a seasoned brine. Other options include dry curing resulting in an olive with a very concentrated flavor, or lye curing, a technique used by some large commercial olive producers that some believe diminishes the taste of the olive and may leave a chemical aftertaste. Sun, or air curing, is rare but allows the olive to stay on the tree the longest to cure in the open air, or after picked, finish curing in the sunshine, a European technique.

But what about those canned black olives I put on my fingertips? According to Seriouseats.com, “These olives are picked green, then pumped up with oxygen to turn them black. Their shade then gets fixed with a black chemical compound called ferrous gluconate.” It doesn't sound appetizing, but it likely won't make me stop eating them.

My family loves olives, so when I saw this recipe for an Olive Medley, I knew I had to make it.

It's three different olives combined with lemon zest, garlic, rosemary and a little heat if you'd like. It's excellent as part of a charcuterie board, appetizer buffet or a quick snack. The lemon adds brightness, the garlic and chili flakes a little zip, and the rosemary has a subtle warmth and excellent flavor.

I like flexible recipes that allow easy substitutions to customize ingredients and flavor, and this one is perfect. Here are some substitution ideas: Pick three different types of olives you like or have on hand. Just make sure you use the same amount of each. While I wouldn't substitute the lemon or garlic, feel free to experiment with oregano or other spices you like instead or in addition to the rosemary. Remember, when using dried versus fresh herbs, if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, the dried measurement is ⅓ of the fresh or 1 teaspoon.

Every time I make this recipe, someone asks for the recipe or if they can take some home. This, to me, signals a great recipe. My family and friends like this one, and I hope yours will too.

Penny Kazmier, a wife and mother of four from South Barrington, won the 2011 Daily Herald Cook of the Week Challenge. Contact Penny at DhCulinaryAdventures@gmail.com.

Olive Medley

16 ounces pimento-stuffed large green olives

16 ounces pitted Kalamata olives

16 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives*

1 medium lemon, zested

½ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, slivered

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced

½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

¼ to ½ teaspoon chile flakes (optional)

½ cup sliced green onions

Drain olives and place in a medium bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, or zester, remove the lemon peel in strips; add to olives. Add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine. Refrigerate covered for several hours or overnight.

Serve with a slotted spoon.

*The third variety of olive is where you should pick one of your favorites, or try something new.

Penny Kazmier