Baked Kalamata Olives

I've been making these wonderful olives for years. This recipe comes from another of Deborah Madison's cookbooks, "Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone". I know it sounds odd to bake olives, but once they've simmered in the oven in the wine, olive oil, garlic and spices, they get plump and juicy, and the smells in your kitchen elicit sighs of happiness. I usually make these in the winter, but they're a wonderful accompaniment to any meal. I have put them in gift baskets at the holidays and served them at Thanksgiving. Every time my daughter's boyfriend comes to visit, this is what he wants me to make.

The recipe calls for Kalamata olives with the pits in. This is how I usually make them, but lately I've gotten lazy and used pitted olives. They are usually cheaper and they save you some time since you don't have to poke each one after they come out of the oven. If you're making them for the first time, I recommend that you use Kalamata's with the pits still in.

Here's what you do:

Rinse 2 cups kalamata olives and put them in a baking dish large enough for them to be in one layer. Add 1/2 cup dry red wine, 2 T. olive oil, 1 clove sliced garlic, and 1 bay leaf. Cover and bake at 375º for about 45 minutes.

While they're in the oven, chop 2 cloves of garlic and pound it in a mortar with 2 T. marjoram, 1 T. parsley, and a few grinds of pepper. When the olives come out of the oven, poke each one with the tip of a knife. Stir in the garlic-herb paste, 2 T. olive oil, and several pinches red pepper flakes.

Serve with crusty french bread. You can dip your bread in the extra juice from the olives.

Cost to prepare:

2 cups kalamata olives - $5.00

1/2 cup dry red wine - $1.00

4 T. olive oil - $1.00 (?)

3 garlic cloves - $.50

bay leaf, red pepper flakes, 2 T. marjoram, 1 T. parsley - $.75 (?)

Total - $8.25 and SO worth it