#35 (ENH) Snackin' in the 0live Garden

Shownotes for #35 The Olive Garden!

The music for the opening and ending of the show is Fast Food Rampage by the The Touch Ups, courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network.

Stuff you need to know for this show's recipe:

All the recipes here are an hour or less. Total preparation time for the chickpea salads is less than 15 minutes.

Talk Back! We are a Snacking Community. Go to the end of these Shownotes and click on "comments." Leave your thoughts and experiences. Or email me at [e-mail].

The podsafe music used in the show:

The song I'm featuring this week is the whimsical "Emo Kid" by Adam and Andrew. This wonderful duo from an Luis Obispo, California, write their satires in the style of Weird Al Yankovic or the Capital Steps. I hope you enjoy it.

Here is the lead recipe I describe in the show:

Crostini with Olives and Feta (adopted from Weir Cooking: Recipes from the Wine Country)

A loaf of fresh, crusty, french or italian bread, cut in thick slices
2 tbs olive oil
1 small red pepper, roasted, skinned and diced
1 garlic clove
2 tsp lemon juice
1 c black olives, like Nicoise or Kalamata, pitted and chopped
2 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh mint
4 oz feta cheese

Brush both sides of the slices of bread with olive oil. Grill or bake at 400 degrees (gas mark 7) until golden 6 to 10 minutes. In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Top each slice of bread with a tablespoon of the mixture and eat.

Crostini with Olives and Artichokes (adopted from Weir Cooking: Recipes from the Wine Country)

A loaf of fresh, crusty, french or italian bread, cut in thick slices
1 12 oz can of artichoke hearts
2 tbs anchovy paste
2 shallots, minced
1/2 c black olives, like Nicoise or Kalamata, pitted and chopped
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c chopped flat-leaf parsley
ground black pepper to taste

Drain the artichokes and soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Chop them coarsely and put in a bowl. Combine the anchovy paste with the black pepper, red wine and the olive oil and mix until smooth. Add this together with the chopped shallots, olives, garlic and parsley.
Brush both sides of the slices of bread with olive oil. Grill or bake at 400 degrees (gas mark 7) until golden 6 to 10 minutes. Top each slice of bread with a tablespoon of the mixture and eat.

Green Olive Salad, Apulian-style

1/2 pound large green olives
4 small celery ribs with leaves (from the inside of the bunch)
1 tbs anchovy paste
1 tsp. capers, rinsed
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
olive oil

Rinse the olives and remove the pits. Coarsely chop the olives. Finely chop the celery and celery leaves and combine in a bowl with the olives, the anchovy paste, capers, red pepper, garlic, vinegar and enough oil to coat. Allow to sit two hours.

Olive Relish, Cyprus-style

12 oz jar Spanish-style green olives
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c red wine vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, crushed and finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed or ground

Drain the olives. Discard the pits. Chop the olives and combine with oil, vinegar, garlic and coriander.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally. Spread on crusty bread.

Here is an extra recipe from this week's theme

Tapanade with Herbs (adopted from The Mediterranean Pantry by Aglaia Kremezi)

1 1/2 c juicy black olives
1 1/2 c cracked green olives
3 tbs cilantro
1/2 c fennel tops, chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 tbs chopped mint leaves
1/2 to 1 tsp. ground white pepper
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs good olive oil

Rinse the olives and taste them. If they are very salty, let them soak for 1 or two hours in warm water . Then rinse them again. Dry on paper towels and remove the pits. Chop the olives coarsely.
Combine the olives with the other ingredients, except the olive oil, in a food processor. Process until you have a thick paste. Then, with the motor running, add the olive oil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Refrigerate several hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Here is the shopping list for next week:

Next week we're going to make snacks with fresh figs. You need a couple of pounds of fresh figs, half green, half black. Look are them carefully and don't buy any that have begun to mold. You first time it might be worth you while to get them from a fruit store where the clerk can help you buy the firmest, sweetest figs available. Later on you'll be able to pick your own. You need a fresh lime, fresh basil fresh thyme an d fresh rosemary, a dozen eggs, extra virgin olive oil, a red onion, a yellow onion, 8 slices of prosciutto, or some other salty ham (make sure the deli puts paper between the slices or they will stick together), a 1/4 pound of fresh young Asiago cheese, a quarter pound of your favorite cheese, such as Parmesan, Stilton, domestic blue, Gouda, Camembert, ricotta salada, feta, Dry Jack, Cheddar, Gruyere, or fresh goat, a loaf of French bread, baguette, long, narrow and crusty.