WARM MARINATED OLIVES FOR CHARCUTERIE BOARD
These Warm marinated olives are perfect for your next charcuterie board!
Castelvetrano Olives, marinated in olive oil, rosemary, thyme, fennel seed, garlic, and citrus peels, served with toasted, seasoned rosemary sourdough. This recipe is incredibly simple to make, can be prepped and ready to serve in under 15 minutes, and will easily add that extra special touch to any meal.
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CASTELVETRANO OLIVES
Olives are absolutely fantastic on their own, but simmer them in a hot bath of garlic, herbs, olive oil, citrus and fennel…and now we are really talking! This combination of ingredients compliments and enhances these olives in such a beautiful way. You and your guests will come crawling back for more.
For this recipe I went with castelvetrano olives. These olives have a mild, yet buttery flavor. Their texture can be described as crisp and meaty and they are not overly salty. You are welcome to swap out any olive of your choosing for this recipe of course, but these guys are definitely my go-to.
HOW TO MARINATE OLIVES
Marinating olives is super easy! Simply combine olives with olive oil and herbs and spices of your choosing. For this recipe, you will be combining rosemary, thyme, garlic, fennel seeds, lemon peel, and orange peel. Then simmer on the stove for 8 minutes. That’s it! Serve and enjoy!
PITTED VS NON-PITTED
When you are making marinated olives, you can go with pitted or non-pitted olives. There is a slight difference in texture, however. Olives that still contain their pit will remain a bit crisper, while olives that are pitted will soften a bit more when marinated.
For this recipe, you will only be marinating your olives for 8 minutes, so they will not become overly soft.
Personally, I like to reach for the pitted olives. The slight loss of texture is worth not having to eat around a pit, in my opinion. The absence of pits makes it easier to pair olives with other elements of your charcuterie board, such as bread and cheese, making the perfect bite size snack!
BENEFITS OF OLIVES
Olives are not only delicious, they are packed full of nutrients and are known for many health benefits! Olives contain high levels of antioxidants and vitamin E. They have been known to help protect against cancer and osteoporosis. Olives are also beneficial for you heart health and the health of your skin and hair. In addition to antioxidants and vitamin E, olives also contain vitamin A, copper, Iron, and calcium.
EASY VEGAN ITALIAN STARTER
Looking for another delicious, yet simple-to-make side dish to kick off your next Italian dinner party? This is it! These warm marinated olives are perfect for elevating a charcuterie board and make a wonderful vegan Italian starter.
BREADS FOR CHARCUTERIE BOARD
These warm marinated olive for a charcuterie board wouldn’t be complete without being paired with a delicious bread. For this recipe, I went with rosemary sourdough. Sourdough is a perfect candidate for a charcuterie board. It’s slightly tangy flavor is perfect for adding a touch of complexity to an appetizer, without over powering the other elements. It’s also a bread that can be sliced thin and toasted without becoming too crumbly or hard.
Using a rosemary sourdough, instead of a plain sourdough, is perfect for adding even more flavor to these marinated olives and it really compliments the hints of citrus.
HOW TO PREP BREADS FOR A CHARCUTERIE BOARD
Now many breads are perfectly acceptable when eaten untouched. But you can bring most bread to the next level by taking the time to perfectly toast it. You can also go one step further and season the bread as well to make the best possible vehicle for your charcuterie board snacks.
To season breads for a charcuterie board simply slice the bread, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, squeeze a light spritz of lemon juice, and top with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Then pop your bread on a baking sheet and in the oven. Broil on high for a minute or two until it starts to brown and becomes perfectly crisp.
A few extra steps, but seasoning your bread properly can really help brighten each element of your snack board and add more flavor to each bite.
PREP AHEAD
These warm marinated olives for your charcuterie board are the perfect candidate when you are looking for recipes to prep ahead. You can create these delicious babies ahead of time and store in the fridge. When it’s comes time to serve, simply reheat the dish and prep and toast the bread!
Warm Marinated Olives for Charcuterie Board
Ingredients
FOR MARINATED OLIVES
- 2 cups castelvetrano olives, pitted
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
- zest from half an orange, long pieces
- zest from half a lemon, long pieces
FOR THE SOURDOUGH BREAD
- 8 serving of rosemary sourdough bread, sliced thin 2 piece per person, depending on size of the load
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil use the infused olive oil from the marinated olives
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
PREPARE THE MARINATED OLIVES
- Peel half of a lemon and orange into long strips using a peeler. Set aside
- Combine all ingredients listed under "Marinated Olives" into a small sauce pan, including lemon and orange peels
- Bring the oil to a simmer over medium heat, then drop temperature to medium-low. Simmer for 8 minutes stirring occasionally
- Remove from heat after 8 minutes
- **While olives are simmering, move ahead and prepare the sourdough
PREPARE THE SOURDOUGH
- Preheat oven to broil on high
- If your rosemary sourdough bread is not already pre sliced, slice the bread into thin pieces
- Cut sliced bread into smaller pieces
- Lay sliced sourdough on a baking sheet
- Pull two table spoons of infused olive oil from the marinated olives.
- Top sourdough with olive oil from the marinated olives. Evenly distribute between all of the slices.
- Squeeze juice from lemon evenly over the slices of bread
- Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper over the bread
- Place sourdough in oven to broil on high for 1-2 minutes, or until the bread is perfectly toasted. You need to babysit the bread while toasting, it can burn quickly!
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- Plate olives in a serving dish and serve along side toasted rosemary sour dough
- Serve and enjoy!
