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ROUSES.COM
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FOOD
Olives are distinguished by variety (Calamata,
Cerignola, Niçoise, etc.), the region where they are grown,
when they are picked, and how they are cured.
O
lives and olive oil are cornerstone
of the Mediterranean diet, which
encourages more plant-based foods
such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains,
legumes and nuts, and replacing butter with
healthy fats like olive oil. Both are high in
oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9
fatty acid, which has been found to reduce
the risk of atherosclerosis and increase good
cholesterol, and a good source of vitamin E.
90 percent of tree-ripened olives are turned
into olive oil. (It generally takes over 1,000
olives to make one liter of oil.)
Though olives are most closely associated
with Mediterranean cuisine, they’re
cultivated all over the world, especially wine
regions where the climates — long hot
summer and mild winters — are friendly
to olive trees. Olive trees in hospitable
climates like Italy, Spain and Greece can
live for more than a century.
All olives start out green and darken as they
ripen, going from green to light brown to
reddish-brown to purple to black. (Olives
are considered “green ripe” when they’ve
reached full size but haven’t begun to change
color.) Green olives picked at the start of
the harvest season have a firm texture and
a slightly nutty flavor. Darker olives picked
toward the end of harvest are softer, meatier
and have a richer flavor.
The olives you’ll find on our shelves and
olive bar have been cured. Olives should
never be eaten raw. They contain the
compound oleuropein, which makes them
sharp and bitter, and need to undergo a
curing process before they’re ready to eat.
There are five types of curing used to leach
out the oleurpoin: oil-curing, in which fully
ripened olives are slowly fermented in brine,
a process that intensifies the olive’s natural
flavors; water-curing; air-curing; lye-curing,
a Spanish method; and dry-curing, which
involves storing the olives in salt for several
months. Typically the longer olives are
cured, the more multi-layer their flavor.
If your olive expertise is limited to whole
versus pitted, here are a few to try from the
rotating selection on our olive bar.
Bella di Cerignola:
Handpicked in the sunny
fields of Puglia, Italy, these smooth, buttery beauties
are known for their enormous size and crisp, meaty bite.
Calamata (or Kalamata):
These naturally
cured deep purple, almond-shaped Greek table olives
boast an intense smoky, tart olive flavor.
California Sevillano:
These plump, meaty
Sicilian-cured green olives have a briny, buttery flavor.
Also available in a garlicky marinade.
Castelvetrano:
Green-hued Sicilian Castelvetrano
olivesaremeaty,withabutteryflesh,andasweet,mildflavor.
Niçoise:
Herbal French olives are a must for salade
Niçoise and tapenade.
Seasoned Black Greek Olives:
These
naturally cured Greek olives have a meaty texture and
tart, slightly acidic, red-wine vinegar flavor.
Warm Olives
(Yields 1 cup)
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Zest from 1 small lemon
¼ cup Rouses extra-virgin olive oil
1
small rosemary sprig
2
small garlic cloves,
thickly sliced chile threads (optional)
3
cups mixed olives, such as Calamata,
Cerignola, Niçoise, Sevillano and
Castelvetrano
HOW TO PREP
With a zester carefully peel off a strip of the
lemon skin, working top to bottom. Turn
the lemon as you go so you remove only the
yellow part.
In amedium saucepan, combine the lemon zest
with the olive oil, rosemary and garlic and cook
over moderate heat until the garlic just begins
to brown, about 6 minutes. Remove from the
heat, stir in the olives and let stand for at least
15 minutes before serving.
Eat Right
with Rouses
Healthy Fats
“The days of encouraging low-fat diets may have backfired since it led to the
belief that “low-fat” automatically implies the item is healthy. In fact, many
low-fat foods are loaded with sugar or even sodium to compensate, which
can bring on another world of problems. Thankfully, the blanket statement
of “low-fat” is dissipating to give way to the phrase “healthy fats.” Healthy
fats are unsaturated fats, specifically monounsaturated and polyunsaturated
fats. Unlike saturated fats that are solid at roomtemperature, unsaturated fats
are liquid at room temperature. Monounsaturated fats help lower cholesterol,
while polyunsaturated fats can protect against heart disease.”
—Esther, Rouses Dietitian
Cured