Recipe by The View From the Great Island

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I’m popping in today with what might be the most stupidly easy effortlessly elegant appetizer on my blog.  I serve these roasted olives when I want to create an especially relaxed, informal atmosphere with friends, and it occurred to me that it would be a good one to share with you now, while we’re all crazed with too many things to do and too little time to do them in.  Don’t let its simplicity fool you, this is a distinctive dish.  When you roast olives they get softer and milder; they take on a melting texture that is a little unexpected, and so when a newbie pops a warm one in his or her mouth there’s always a ‘wow’ moment.  You can serve them with a spoon so guests can have their own little plates, but frankly we all just pick at the pan and enjoy ourselves.  Use toothpicks if you’re fussy. We had this once or twice at good restaurants before I finally got hip to the idea that I could do it at home.  You can make it your own by adjusting the ingredients.  I gather the biggest variety of olives I can find, all from the olive …

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Ingredients

• about 3 cups assorted olives, pitted or unpitted (or allow about 1/2 cup per person) Seek out a good
• about a cup of good quality feta cheese, cut in small bite sized cubes
• 1 or 2 red or green jalapenos, thinly sliced, seeds and all (optional)
• Lemon juiced
• handful of fresh thyme
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp good quality olive oil
• 2 tbsp good quality red wine or sherry vinegar

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Method

1. Set oven to 400F
2. Spread the olives out in a casserole dish or gratin dish. Toss with all the rest of the ingredients and taste the dressing to adjust any of the elements.
3. Bake for about 20 minutes until bubbling.
4. Replace the roasted thyme with fresh sprigs, and serve hot with crusty bread.

View the recipe instructions at The View From the Great Island