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