Olive the Rest

Athena blessing the olive tree. Photo source: http://www.egreenway.com/meditation/olive.htm

This month's goal of writing every week about olives didn't exactly prove to be fruitful- but that's okay, because I have learned a few new tidbits and, as the last post of Olive February, will offer them up to you now. There is so much to learn about olives, that I found myself floundering amidst a swarm of information and only able to grab at a few small morsels which helped me to better understand Olive’s story.

Firstly, let’s talk origins. Olives were one of the very first foods to be cultivated by humans; I suspect for their many uses including fuel, cooking, cleansing, and healing; originating in Asia Minor (Crete, Syria, Iran, etc...) and then spreading to and the rest of the Mediterranean between 5000 and 14000 BCE. [1] Of course, that’s all mythology- everybody knows that the olive came to the people via the clever generosity of Athena as a ploy to win her, rather than her competitor Poseidon, the patronage of Athens. Regardless of its origin, the olive tree has influenced our perceptions; from the peaceful gesture of an outstretched branch, to the violent end one would meet in the ancient world by cutting it down; our civilization has been built on the backbone of the mighty olive.

Fun fact: Olive oil was a major import for ancient Rome (and still is for modern Rome) from the provinces, mainly Baetica, present Andalucia. It was transported via shipping vessels in containers called amphorae, which were specifically designed to fit the shape of the ship and provide multiple handles for the ship loaders. Roman citizens re-used the amphorae any way possible and, despite their dedication to be green, still managed to create an entire mountain of thrown-out, un re-used amphorae, located within the city limits of Rome. Monte Testaccio is an archaeological gem where amphorae, along with other clay treasures from ancient Rome, were deposited as a garbage heap. Many of the pieces are so well preserved, that the branding is still legible, which tells us which families and regions were most prevalent in producing olive oil for Rome- Spain was one of the greatest- and still is. In fact, most Italian olive oil is actually produced in Spain and sent to Italy, blended with some Italian oil, and sold as Italian. So don’t snub the Spanish! They know what they’re doing when it comes to olives (and wine, but that’s another story).[2]

Amphorae photo source:http://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/historyhunt/roman/images/amphorae.jpg

Recipe for Olive Relish taken from the Classical Cookbook.[3]

This recipe was left for us by Cato, a Roman soldier whose farming handbook has given great insight into the food world of ancient Rome.

To make green, black, or mixed olive relish:

1. Pit and then chop 4 oz black, 4 oz green, or 8 oz of each if un-mixed olives

2. Add 4 Tbs olive oil, 4 Tbs red wine vinegar, 2 tsp chopped fresh coriander (cilantro), 2 tsp fresh chopped cumin (if you cannot find fresh cumin, then roast and add the seed), 1 heaping tsp chopped fennel (minced bulb or fresh leaf), 2 tsp chopped rue[4], 3 tsp chopped fresh spearmint

3. Put in a sealable container and either serve immediately, or store for future use. The flavors will develop and become more delicious if stored for a few days before eating- but who can hold back with something as yummy as this?!?!

Serve with toasted pita and alongside grilled foods, such as chicken or eggplant.

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[1] http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0397/oohistory.html; http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/history-olive

[2] Moveable Feasts by Sarah Murray 2007 Picador NY; http://www.archaeospain.com/testaccio/

[3] The Classical Cookbook is a compilation of recipes and feasting rituals from ancient Greece and Rome; I find it most interesting that recipes from those regions have remained fairly constant over time- Modern Greeks and Italians eat mostly the same foods as their ancestors!

[4] Rue, or Ruta graveolens, is an intensely bitter herb used abundantly in ancient Mediterranean cookery, but presently mainly used in Ethiopian cooking and as a garden ornamental. Rue also acts as a healer for digestive ailments (as with most bitter herbs and greens) and keeps away cats. Source: http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/r/rue---20.html http://www.clovegarden.com/ingred/herbs.html

Sugo alla puttanesca

The grey Seattle winter presses upon me in the most unfavorable of manners as I close my eyes and dream of far away lands where the breeze is balmy and the food is spicy; all I want at this moment is to be warm! Sugo alla puttanesca is the ideal treat for a day like today- it's zesty, hot, and vibrant- just the vacation I'm seeking to transport my senses to the sizzling, Ischian sun.

Sugo alla puttanesca, or Puttanesca sauce, began to pop-up around the early 1960's in Southern Italy- specifically in Ischia, a small island off the coast of Naples in the Campania Region. The birth of the sugo, or sauce, is draped in mystery. It could have been born out of the Napoleon brothels as a means to nourish the roused customers; or it could have been created by the famed Ischian restaurateur, Sandro Petti, as a way to feed his friends after hours with whatever he found in the pantry, which happened to include anchovy, tomato, garlic, onion, caper, and our star- the olive.* Despite, or possibly because of its mysterious origins, sugo alla puttanesca has become beloved amongst those of us yearning to taste the sun.

* For a more detailed account of the origins of sugo alla puttanesca, visit Jeremy Parsen’s incredibly enlightening blog about everything-Italian-food: http://dobianchi.com/2008/01/13/the-origins-of-sugo-alla-puttanesca/

Recipe for sugo alla puttanesca:

Ingredients:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Medium onion, minced

4-8 Garlic gloves, minced

¼ - ½ tsp red pepper flakes to taste

Pinch salt and pepper to taste

1 32 oz. can of whole, peeled tomatoes, pureed

4-6 Tbs capers (to taste)

¼- ½ cup pitted and halved olives (traditionally black, such as Kalamata, or a mixture of your favorite olives)

¼ cup chopped parsley, basil, or combination of the two

3-5 anchovies, filleted and chopped (these can be omitted if you are making a vegan sauce)

1 box of your favorite thin, long pasta such as spaghetti or linguine.

I. The Sauce

*Give yourself enough time to let the sauce simmer for at least 30-60 minutes before eating.

1. Coat the bottom of a large saucepan with olive oil over med-high heat

2. Add onion, garlic, pepper flakes, salt and pepper and sauté until just barely browned

3. Add tomato puree and scrape-up any brown bits of the bottom of the pan (de-glaze) to add a richer flavor to the sauce.

4. Let the sauce simmer for at least 30 – 45 minutes, until it’s thickened and no longer watery

5. About 10 minutes before you’re ready to eat, cook your pasta until mostly done, but still crunchy

6. Add the capers and olives and simmer for 5 minutes

7. Add anchovies and herbs, season with salt and pepper, and turn down the heat

8. Add the pasta and let it finish cooking in the sauce (about 2-3 minutes)

Serve with a drizzle of spicy olive oil, some crumbled ricotta, if you have it, and revel in the intoxicating essence of a sauce that was created in and by the sizzling Italian sun.

Happy Eating!

- Andreya

Nourished by Olives

I’m hungry! Too hungry to write or to think or to do anything that doesn't involve eating. I long to be nourished and will soon be on my way… after the pizza’s out of the oven. 15 minutes later…crisis averted. First bite taken and I’m finding ecstasy in a mass of utter imperfections! Look at that crust- lop-sided, nowhere near round, and most definitely not of an even thickness. Normally, I would be disappointed, but not today. Today… bliss. Yumm! This is why people have been eating olives since the beginning of civilization. I am nourished.

“I’m So Starving Feed Me Olives Pizza”

For the dough (personally modified from Alice Waters’ The Art of Cooking):

2 Tsp Yeast

¼ cup luke-warm water

¼ cup Rye flour

3 ¾ cup white spelt or unbleached all purpose flour

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cold water

Pinch of salt

For the rest:

1 fresh mozzarella ball

1 handful of your favorite olives, pitted and cut in half or quartered

¼ cup fresh basil (or your favorite herb like parsley or thyme), roughly chopped

Extra virgin olive oil

Salad and dressing:

I head of Red Leaf, your favorite lettuce, or a salad mix

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbs red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar

3 Tbs Extra virgin olive oil*

1 Tbs minced shallot

A large pinch of chopped basil

Salt and pepper to taste

*The vinegar (meaning acid) to oil ratio is 1:3, so if you’re making less or more, you can adjust the amounts accordingly. Also, you can use any vinegar or acid (such as lemon juice) that you like.

I. The Dough

*Your dough will need at least 3 hours to fully develop. I recommend making it the evening before and letting it rise overnight in your fridge.

** This dough will make either two 9 in round pizzas, or 1 long 18 in rectangular focaccia.

1. Put the yeast and ¼ cup warm water in a large bowl and leave alone until the yeast has dissolved- about 5 minutes.

2. Make the “Sponge” (yeast and a little bit of flour) by adding ¼ cup Rye Flour and ¼ cup white flour to the dissolved yeast and mix together until the lumps are gone. Using a wooden spoon is recommended and feels more professional, but it’s easier to get a smooth mixture with a whisk, although that adds extra air, so do whichever you prefer- the taste is the same either way.

3. Now cover the bowl with a clean towel, put it somewhere warm, and leave the sponge alone to develop for at least 20 minutes and up to an hour. This will allow the yeast to ferment and develop a truly lovely flavor and aroma. When the sponge is completely bubbly, then it’s ready for the next step.

4. Add the rest of the flour, ¼ cup olive oil, ¾ cup water, and salt. Mix together with a spatula or wooden spoon until the dough begins to form a ball, then plop it out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-20 minutes until the dough becomes elastic; when you press your finger into it and the depression bounces back- you’re done. It will look round, lovely, and you’ll say to yourself, “that’s exactly what a ball of dough should look like!”

5. Put the dough ball into a clean bowl that’s been coated with olive oil. Give the dough a twist and then turn it over so that the entire surface of the ball is coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and put it somewhere warm until the dough has doubled in size- about 1 hour.

6. After it’s doubled, punch the dough down in the middle to re-distribute the yeast, cover, and let continue to rise for either another 2 hours or overnight in the fridge.

II. The Pizza

*To make this an entirely vegan meal, omit the cheese, add some chopped rosemary or thyme or combo thereof, and double the amount of olives.

** If you have a baking stone, be sure that it is preheated and that your peel (a paddle-like tool made out of wood used to maneuver breads and pizzas in and out of the oven) is coated with cornmeal or flour so that the dough does not stick. If you do not have a baking stone, use a pre-heated metal sheet pan and be careful not to burn yourself.

1. When you’re ready to make the pizza or focaccia, cut the dough ball in half (or leave whole for 18 in focaccia) and stretch the dough to the desired size by making a fist, laying the dough over the back of your fist, and pulling lightly then rotating the dough around your fist until the desired size is reached. You can also flatten the dough on the surface, push it outward with your fingers, and then pull lightly from the edges. Do not use a roller; otherwise you will push out all of the air that makes the bread light and heavenly.

2. Preheat oven to 400 and add the stretched dough drizzled with olive oil, cheese, and olives for about 10-13 minutes or until the cheese has lightly browned. Remove and add the chopped basil immediately, then add fresh ground pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

III. The Salad Dressing:

1. Mix mustard and vinegar together then slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add minced shallot, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the greens.

Super lengthy instructions, I know, but you’ll get the hang of it and I promise that the end result is well worth the work! I also recommend keeping a dough ball in the fridge so that you can easily make a pizza or focaccia when you get home at the end of a long day. Let me know if you have any questions and remember to pour a glass of wine, sing your favorite song, and enjoy the process of nourishing your stomach and your soul.

Happy Eating!

- Andreya

Olive February

"I'll bet you ten dollars that you won't like this."

"You're on and I'm gonna’ love it!"

In an instant, my daring twelve year-old little tongue reaches out to meet the salty, tangy, crunch of my very first green olive. Internally, I’m cringing and can't wait to be rid of the vineagery aroma that lingers in my mouth. On the outside, however, it's all smiles and cheers because I naturally refuse to lose this bet with my dad.

A declaration is made and the bet is won: "Mmmmm.... delicious!"

Between the time of the infamous "olive bet" with my dad and a few years ago, I have been slowly nursing a rather healthy obsession with olives; with their role in our history, their nature, their aroma, and their lore.

Olives. How creative were the first people to eat olives?!? I would have loved to be a fly on a fruit that day: "Hey- here's a really bitter little fruit that tastes awful, yuck! I know, let's stick it in some vinegar and salt for a bit and re-visit eating it in a few months! Oh yeah- and while we're at it, let's take some of these little suckers and press them until we squeeze out all of their oil and use it for EVERYTHING! Great idea!" And it actually did turn out to be a great idea- ingenious, in fact! An idea that would form the pillars on which our civilization was built. Olives... who woulda' thought?

As a sort of amuse bouche, I will leave your senses with this:

The whole Mediterranean, the sculpture, the palm, the gold beads, the bearded heroes, the wine, the ideas, the ships, the moonlight, the winged gorgons, the bronze men, the philosophers - all of it seems to rise in the sour, pungent taste of these black olives between the teeth. A taste older than meat, older than wine. A taste as old as cold water. Only the sea itself seems as ancient a part of the region as the olive and its oil, that like no other products of nature, have shaped civilizations from remotest antiquity to the present”

- Lawrence Durrell (1912-1990), Prospero's Cell (1945)