These citrus-marinated olives are an easy way to dress-up store-bought olives with diced oranges and their zest, red chilies, fresh rosemary and spices.
The ambitious me defaults to making things from scratch, but that’s not necessary all the time. And to be honest, it doesn’t always make that much of a difference.
Plus there is something so satisfying about fancying-up store-bought food. It may involve a recipe, but it feels more like a kitchen hack, the kind of thing you want to tell all your friends about. Get out and spread the word!
One of the places I find endless uses for ready-to-use ingredients is the olive bar or the antipasti shelves in the Italian section at the grocery. With everything from roasted tomatoes to peppers to artichokes, it is a gold mine for pastas, pizzas and appetizers too.
I am a big fan of olives and even though they are already cured and marinated in garlic, herbs and spices, I like to take it a step further. In only 5 minutes or so, I add the flesh and zest of an orange, sliced chilies, spices and olive oil.
Give the olives time to sit in that flavorful, fragrant mix, and you will be rewarded. Trust me.
With its vats of different varieties, heading to the olive bar is probably your best bet. It’s the easiest and most economical way to get the exact amount of olives you need for this recipe (1-1/2 cups), while scooping a little of this and that when it comes to types.
I love how the colors look in a range of greens and deep browns, but of course, it’s for taste first. Here are a few of my favorites:
This depends on your personal preference. When I am eating an olive mix for an appetizer, I like them with the pits rather than seeing that machine drilled hole on one end. I realize not everyone enjoys having to attempt to elegantly spit out the pit, especially in front of guests. So it is up to you whether you serve olives with or without pits.
On the other hand, if I am using olives as a component in a dish like a salad or pasta where they will be combined with other ingredients, I always use pitted.
This is what you need for the recipe:
Yes, you can absolutely make the olives ahead of time. Just store them in an airtight container in the fridge. The olive oil will likely harden at the cooler temperature. Let the olives sit out at room temperature, and the oil will liquefy again.
You can marinate the olives up to 2 days before you plan to serve them. They will have even more citrus flavor!
These olives are pretty special on their own, but if you really want to score points with your guests, include them as part of a charcutierie plate or cheese board. A beautiful spread will go a long way especially if you are trying to serve heavy appetizers instead of a full meal. Everyone loves to graze!
You can even bake your own homemade crackers too.
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These citrus-marinated olives are an easy way to dress-up store-bought olives with chopped oranges and their zest, red chilies, fresh rosemary and spices.
The olives can be made up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the olives come to room temperature and the olive oil liquify again as needed before serving.
Keywords: Marinated olives, olive recipes
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