Whenever I prepare warmed olives, I think of this story. Here it is:
Several years ago on a warm summer night, we were sitting with friends on their patio in the foothills of the Rocky mountains, munching on warm olives. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a fox keenly watching us––sitting within three feet of my husband. Soon, another fox crept to the edge of the patio, waiting. Now, I am not afraid of foxes, but I also understand that they are wild animals and deserve respect— and I would prefer that they be farther away than three feet!
It turns out that they expected their daily handout of raw eggs from our host and posed no harm to us at all. Once they had their eggs firmly ensconced in their teeth, they trotted off into the forest to have their own feast. It was a wonderfully mysterious look at nature––up close and personal. To this day, I think of foxes whenever I eat warm olives.
You can always serve your olives plain, but heating them in this mixture of herbs, citrus, and garlic elevates a simple olive to a delicacy. I’ve tinkered with this recipe for many years and it is my favorite version. You can heat the olives in the oven, but I have also heated them on the grill when we’re entertaining on the patio. Here in Colorado with our extremely strong sun, I can also just place the foil packet of olives in the sun and let nature do its work.
Warm Olives in Herbs
Reprinted with permission from 1,000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008)
Delightfully simple, yet simply delicious. This will become one of your favorite appetizers.
2 cups olives of your choice, drained
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 (3-inch) strip lemon zest (no white)
1 garlic clove, halved
¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
[1] Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients on a heavy-duty sheet of foil (or use two sheets of foil). Fold up edges of the foil to create a pocket and place on a small baking sheet.
[2] Warm the olives 15 to 20 minutes, or until they become fragrant. Serve warm.