By CIINDY COOPWOOD • Photography by ANNA SATTERFIELD
Packed with flavor, olives are having a moment and turning up in new ways on menus everywhere
There’s been a flavorful surge in olive-based recipes recently, and it’s all thanks to the bold, briny punch olives bring to the table. Their salty, tangy bite adds depth to everything from classic egg and olive salad to the wildly popular dirty martini dip. No longer just a cocktail garnish or antipasto staple, olives are taking center stage everywhere, from church potlucks to happy hour—proving that their pungent charm is anything but subtle, and we can’t get enough!
DIRTY MARTINI DIP
This recipe brings together all the classic cocktail elements in a dip that blends the flavors of blue cheese and olives. Perfect with dipping pretzels, crackers, or your favorite dippers!
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces sour cream
1 to 2 tablespoons finely grated onion, to taste
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup blue cheese crumbles
½ cup green olives, chopped
1 tablespoon olive brine
Garnishes: chopped green onions, extra chopped olives, and blue cheese, if desired
Add cream cheese and sour cream to a large bowl and mix by hand or with an electric mixer until smooth.
Add the grated onion, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mix to combine. Then, add the blue cheese crumbles, chopped olives, and olive brine using a spoon to fold the ingredients to combine. Cover, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. When ready to serve, top with optional garnishes and serve with pretzels, Frito scoops, pita chips, or chopped vegetables of your choice.
OLIVE ORZO SALAD
This will be your new go-to this summer! A refreshing take on pasta salad that offers the bright flavors of lemon, feta cheese, and briny olives, all perfectly blended with orzo. It’s delicious!
1 16-ounce package orzo
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons Cavender’s Greek Seasoning
2 to 3 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
1 can black olives, drained and chopped
1 8-ounce package Feta cheese
Cook orzo according to package. Drain, cool, and add to a large mixing bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well. Adjust seasonings to taste. May be served immediately, but allowing to sit for a few hours will give the flavors time to blend well.
EGG AND OLIVE SALAD
If you love being able to take a few simple ingredients and whip up something delicious, nothing fits the bill quite like humble egg and olive salad.
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sliced green olives stuffed with pimentos, sliced
2 tablespoons onion, minced or grated
1 teaspoon olive brine, or to taste
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
salt and pepper to taste
dash of hot sauce to taste
Boil eggs and plunge into an ice bath. When cool, peel the eggs and roughly chop them. Place eggs in a medium bowl. Add chopped green olives, mayonnaise, mustard, salt, and pepper, and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.
For sandwiches, simply spread on bread—we prefer white, crustless—and enjoy!
OLIVE PARMESAN BITES
These baked Parmesan bites are simple to make, full of flavor, and a great companion for your cocktail menu!
6 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
¾ of an 8-ounce jar Castelvetrano olives
1 tablespoon chili paste or tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Spread in quarter sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Top with the remaining olives and another sprinkle of Parmesan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, until well-browned. Allow to cool and cut into crisps.
NIÇOISE TAPENADE
A versatile Mediterranean spread, olive tapenade could not be easier to make—and is so much more than an appetizer. Serve it on grilled fish, stir into pasta, stuff mushrooms, or mix it with goat cheese and spread on crostini bread—the options are endless!
1 cup pitted Niçoise or other quality black olives
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 tablespoon capers, drained
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 can (3¼ ounces) tuna packed in oil, drained
Juice of half a lemon
In a food processor, combine the olives, garlic, and capers and process to form a paste. Slowly add the olive oil, blending well. Then, add the tuna and lemon juice and continue processing until smooth. Serve with crostini. Enjoy!
