Olives and a glass of wine are a classic Mediterranean combination. Over the last few years, the selection of California olives has greatly improved, but Mediterranean olives still have more flavor. Nevertheless, you can add greater flavor by marinating your olives as follows:
Ingredients:
30 large green olives
2 bay leaves
4 crushed garlic cloves
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon chopped dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
4 anchovy fillet (mashed to a paste)
1¼ cups of extra virgin olive oil to cover
Place the olives on a flat surface, and crush them slightly (without altering the shape) with the side of a cleaver or mallet. In a preserving jar, toss the olives with all the ingredients, and cover with olive oil. Set aside for a week to marinate.
