Citrus + Garlic Marinated Olives hit the sweet spot of: looks gorgeous, tastes great, simple to throw together. That's the ideal trifecta when it comes to having people over for dinner! To make, you’ll quickly cook crushed Castelvetrano olives in extra virgin olive oil with citrus peels and smashed garlic. When done, serve with crusty bread, crackers, or even on a cheeseboard. This appetizer is also fabulous spooned over some crumbled feta, as I have pictured here. Once you’ve enjoyed all of the olives in the bowl, save the leftover infused oil. The oil alone makes this recipe worth it. It’s briny, garlicky, citrusy, and delicious with a baguette.
You’ll notice I call for pitted and slightly crushed olives here. Using pitted olives makes it simpler to serve this appetizer with bread so people can easily enjoy everything in one bite. I also like to gently crush the olives before adding them to the oil, which serves two purposes. One: it kind of flattens the olives, which prevents them from rolling all over the place when serving on bread. Two: gently crushing the olives creates more nooks and crannies for all of that infused oil. As far as citrus goes, I love using the peel from one navel orange and one Meyer lemon, but all orange peel or all lemon peel would be delicious. Be sure to check out the section beneath the recipe for tons of ways you can riff on this recipe.
Citrus + Garlic Marinated Olives come together in 15 minutes with simple, flavor-packed ingredients. Make this when you have friends over for dinner and enjoy with crusty bread, cheese, or on a charcuterie board.
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