#16: Castelvetrano Olives with Herbs and Orange Peel
On warm olives and Empress Of on Song Exploder
as an olive person, i'll eat an olive — pitted or unpitted, mushy or rock-like — at truly any temp. but i wonder, who ever decided they had to be cold? a food safety professional, probably. but hear me out — olives, like cheeses, bloom into their own when they're sweaty and warm. my unscientific hypothesis: a heated olive is softer and more relaxed. has a skin for sinking teeth into — at a measured, treasured pace. it allows the the butteriness comes through first. it gives the brine a backseat. a cold olive is like: SUP I'M SALTY! and a warm olive is like HOLD BACK! LET IT BLOOM, BABE.
warm castelvetranos with orange peel & rosemary
my favorite olive right now is a bright green castelvetrano (named after this particular region of southern italy). of all the briny, butter snacks italians have mastered, this is perhaps the easiest to recreate in your little corner of the world. castelvetranos are sturdy, tactile, and ever-so-slightly sweet. they're almost perfectly spherical, which is beautiful to behold. ideally, you might roast them with rosemary and garlic, but why complicate things when a quick two minute microwave with salt and pepper alone makes things special? even better — let them sit on the counter under a bright light while you're cooking. plop in chopped rosemary, thyme, and toss with orange zest no matter which way you go.
on you go
1 small salad bar container of castelvetrano olives with a smidge of brine (pitted or not, you can also use any can or jar on the shelf)
zest of 1 orange (both sliced as a "garnish" and finely grated)
1 sprig of rosemary (and another to make things pretty)
1 bountiful sprig of time
a light dash of olive oil
cracked pepper
salt
toss olives, with small amount of brine, into a microwave safe bowl, along with black pepper and oil. wash, dry, and chop rosemary and thyme, leaving some herby pieces roughly whole. incorporate sliced zest and herbs, with an extra sprig of rosemary in for good measure.
heat on high for one minute. finely grate orange zest overtop (via microplane or fine grater), toss, and heat about 45 more seconds. toss again, salt, and serve.
your workhorses
pitted olives | i may have incorporated both pitted and unpitted olives for this recipe in a pinch, but i prefer serving (and eating) olives with a pit. aside from sentimental reasons (why tear it away from its only home?) it stays fresh and in many ways fulfills the same duty as an avocado pit in a bowl of guacamole. also, a bowl of pitted olives evens the playing field at any dinner party or gathering. everybody looks ridiculous disposing of an olive pit. thank u, next.
orange zest | oh, to behold the sight of the outer layer of the citrus where the oil sacs are! look closely and you'll actually see them — not the white, pasty "pith" that keeps the aromatic oils in tact, but very outermost layer itself. if you're feeling extra elegant, try your hand at slicing a sliver of zest that you might see in a fancy cocktail. it's difficult to avoid retaining pith with a dull knife, so if your blade isn't cutting it, try a potato peeler — and take your knowledge to the bar cart next time you make liiiiiiiiterally any cocktail. you'll probably end up with more pith than you'd like (i always do) but if you're goal oriented and looking to track progress in a very specific talent... citrus has got u.
soundbites
just a bite: spotify
piece of power
"i learned how to still be myself and tap into my story with other artists, which is such a great lesson. but it can be hard to make yourself vulnerable for the song."
song exploder with "empress of"