Enhance Your Recipes with the Olives & Antipasti Bar
Nearly every grocery store and supermarket these days carries a collection of olives and antipasti—usually somewhere near the deli—surrounded by tasty specialty cheeses and meats (perfect partners, go figure!) You know the olive bar… that long, buffet-style presentation of savory, marinated treats—everything from mild and spicy giardiniera to red cherry peppers stuffed with prosciutto and provolone. Oh, and don’t forget the olives. So many olives! These aren’t your ordinary, black canned olives either. Depending on the selection of your particular store, you can get anything from the famous Greek Calamata or the Green California Sevillano to a number of stuffed olives with fillings like sun-dried tomatoes, blue cheese and jalapeño.
What you may not know is that olives and antipasti can do more than ornament your table as simple nibbles, but can be used in a number of applications—from spreads and dips to full-on entrees with their briny, marinated flavors. Because we’re as excited about olives and antipasti as any foodie should be, we wanted to give you some ways to incorporate these delicious and colorful ingredients into your meals!
Olives, no matter the size or cure, show up in countless recipes as a star flavor with their tart and briny presence. It can be as simple as sautéing olives with fresh herbs and citrus, or integrating them into your favorite bread, focaccia or savory tart recipes. Top your favorite pizza dough recipe with spinach and Greek Feta Salad to make your own homemade Greek-style pie and invite your friends over!
If you’re looking for a healthy and flavorful spread, create a tapenade using your favorite olive variety (or varieties). Olive tapenades complement anything from sandwiches to pasta (both cold and hot). Be creative and try a marriage of your favorite flavors, like our Tomato Calamata Stacker—a stack of fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and our recipe for Calamata Tapenade. Olives aren’t the only stars of the kitchen—try stuffing and breading Roman-Style Artichokes, or filling Pepperazzi peppers with Italian sausage or creamy goat cheese.
Olives and antipasti can be baked alongside a myriad of classic entrée recipes, such as herb-roasted potatoes, chicken and orange roughy. Discover a new favorite: prepare a traditional Sicilian Puttanesca sauce for your pasta; tart black and green olives shine up against ripe plum tomatoes, fresh garlic and herbs. Toss with your favorite pasta, then top with toasted breadcrumbs.
Though these savory treats are known for being tasty, ready-to-eat appetizers, they are destined for more than simple antipasti. What are you doing with your Olives & Antipasti Bar varieties? Share with us!
In the meantime, these are some of our favorite RECIPES, inspired by the Olives & Antipasti Bar:
- Orange Roughy with Calamata Olives & Cherry Tomatoes
- Olive & Herb Roasted Potatoes
- Greek Feta Salad & Spinach Pizza
- Goat Cheese & Olive Tart
- Spicy Calamata & Mascarpone Dip
- Mediterranean Vegetable Platter
- Tomato Stacker with Olive Tapenade
- Pepperazzi Stuffed with Creamy Goat Cheese
- Stuffed Roman Artichokes
- Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Puttanesca & Breadcrumbs
- Calamata Olive Vinaigrette
