In the Garden with The Little Veggie Patch Co. - Nonna's Marinated Olives

Written
by
Jenny Butler
Writer
Jenny Butler
2nd of March 2012

We've had such a great week with Mat and Fabian from The Little Veggie Patch Co and we end on a delicious high - Nonna's Marinated Olives! Congratulations to the ten winners of this weeks giveaway- Katie (#131), Emily (#21), Maria (#99), Alicia (#159), Brendan (#45), T (#139), Georgia (#31), Jane (#14), Amber (#61) and Camila (#114)! Thanks to Macmillan for the generous book giveaway and for organising this week's Guest Blog! - Jenny x

A day in the kitchen is just what we need now. If you are lacking produce, there is plenty to be found on council nature strips or from your neighbour’s overhanging branch. We call this produce, legal tender, and it is our favourite kind. Wash your olives thoroughly, pour yourself a glass of Chardonnay, time to get to work. Olives washed? Pour yourself another glass, it’s Friday!

Nonna's Marinated Olives

  • 1–2 kg green olives
  • 7–10 lemons
  • salt
  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves roughly chopped
  • 2–3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2–3 chillies, thinly sliced
  • good-quality extra virgin olive oil

1. Harvest a large bowl full of green olives from the tree. Crush the olives with a back of the knife blade and remove the pips.

2. Place olives in a large bowl, cover with water, add the juice of one lemon (this will stop the olives going dark) and a pinch of salt.

3. Strain the water the next day, replacing with the same quantity of water, lemon juice and salt, and repeat this daily until the olives taste right – the longer you leave them the mellower the flavour will become. This should take somewhere between 7 and 10 days.

4. Strain the olives and let them dry, then place them in a sterilised jar with the oregano, garlic and chilli, and cover with oil.

5. Store in the fridge and eat over the coming weeks or months, depending on your appetite.

- Mat and Fabian

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