What to do with your olives?

Last week you started curing your olives and are wondering what to do with them once they are ready to eat. Your first option is to just open up the jar and start eating the olives one by one. They are addictive so beware. Alternatively you could prepare the dishes below. Enjoy!

Chicken With Almonds and Green Olives (New York Times, March 27, 2005)


What you'll need:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/2 cup country bread, torn into small pieces
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Small pinch saffron
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks
Sea salt
Flour, for dusting
1 dried red chili (optional)
1 Spanish onion, sliced (T in Tel Aviv added a sliced leek as well)
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup pitted green olives
Salt and Black pepper to taste


1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large braising pan. Add the almonds, bread and garlic. Cook over medium heat so the garlic softens and the bread toasts but nothing burns. Scrape into a food processor and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the saffron and parsley and pulse to a coarse paste.


2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and dust with flour. Add 2 tablespoons oil to the braiser and place over medium-high heat. Add chicken and brown all sides, then remove to a plate. Wipe out the pan. Add remaining oil, the chili and onions and cook until softened. Discard the chili. Nestle chicken in the pan, pour in the wine and reduce by half.

3. Add the almond mixture and the broth, bring to a simmer, cover the pan and braise in the oven until the chicken is almost tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook until the chicken is very tender, 10 minutes more. Serve from the pan. Serves 4.

Green Olive - Cream Cheese Spread

1 8 oz (225g) package of cream cheese softened (or labne or Israeli white cheese)

1/2 cup light mayo

1 cup green olives - chopped

2 tablespoons olive juice (curing liquid is good too)

2 tablespoons chopped green onion or chives

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine all of the above ingredients and serve with crackers or a hearty whole wheat bread

Olives Olives Everywhere...

The olive harvest officially began on October 10th. Trees around the country are filled with olives and those that aren't picked fall quickly to the ground... and yes, it's a mess.


The olive branch is one of the most recognized symbols of peace and is mentioned often in the New and Old Testaments and in the Koran. There are three categories of olive trees in Israel- those planted less than 50 years ago, those planted between 50-300 years ago and "mature" trees whose roots can go back some 2,000 years. Check out the Israeli Olive Board's website for everything you ever wanted to know about olives in Israel.

There are a few stages to curing your own olives. One cannot eat olives picked off the tree as they are VERY bitter. After biting into a fresh olive a young Tel Avivian recently remarked: "it's gross". Follow the simple directions below (for 1 kilo/2.2. pounds of olives) and within a few weeks you will be enjoying your own home cured green olives.

What You'll Need:

1 kg/2.2 pounds olives off the tree

Brine - 100 grams of salt per each liter of water

1 head of garlic, separated but not peeled

1 lemon, thinly sliced lemon

2 small red chilies, 1 tablespoon of oregano or other herbs of choice (OPTIONAL)

1. Each olive needs to be slightly cracked open in order to release the bitter phytochemical compound called oleuropein. This can be done by giving each individual olive a slight tap with a hammer or mallet or by using a rolling pin over a number of olives. There's also the smashing the stone on the olives technique. Remember, you only want a slight crack in each olive.

2. Place the olives in a large bowl/container and cover with cold water. Change the water daily for 7 days.
3. On the 8th day drain the olives and put them in a jar/jars layering as you go with the garlic, lemon, chilies, or oregano. Fill the jar/jars with the brine.

4. Add a thin layer of olive oil at the top to prevent mold and close the jar tightly.

5. Store the jar in a cool, dry place. Wait a month and enjoy your olives. (Even after 4 days they taste pretty good)

Curing your own olives is not as difficult as you would think. The most important this is to not forgot about your olives during the first week!

Katalog in Tel Aviv

Described by owner Roni Laufer as a "design and art stage" Katalog opened in South Tel Aviv in late September 2008. The large gallery/exhibition space/shop features the work of Israeli artists and designers in a well arranged layout.

T in Tel Aviv particularly liked the pieces of jewelry by Yorini of Yoyo32 and the satchels made of recycled nylon bags and tapestries of Hagar Goren. Goren's tapestries are made from threads collected from every possible source and woven by hand into both wearable and hang able art. BEAUTIFUL!!!

Katalog is a new and different stop on the constantly evolving Tel Aviv art scene. The space is also available for private events. For more information contact Roni Laufer at 052-356-1205.

Katalog is located at 20 Alfasi Street in South Tel Aviv. (Just north of Kibbutz Galuyot St and east of Shalavim – behind the Bezeq building)

Goodbye to Summer Watermelons

It's time to say goodbye to summer fruits especially the sweet, refreshing watermelons that we've enjoyed over the last few months.

Did you know that there are over 1200 varieties of watermelons and that they are grown in over 96 countries around the world?

The watermelon is actually a vegetable and is related to pumpkins and cucumbers. In Israel, watermelon is served on its own or with cubes of salty feta cheese on the side.

A watermelon was once thrown at the Roman Governor Demosthenes during a political debate. He promptly placed the watermelon on his head and thanked the thrower for providing him with a helmet to protect his head in the battle against Philip of Macedonia. Watch the watermelons fly during the 2nd McCain – Obama debate scheduled for tonight, October 7th.

In Japan farmers in the Zentsuji region have discovered a way to grow watermelons in square glass boxes. The square watermelons are easier to stack and take less shelf space.

Watermelon Salsa Recipe

2 cups seeded and coarsely chopped watermelon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
3 tablespoons seeded and chopped Anaheim Chile
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

Combine all of the ingredients and chill for at least one hour before serving.

Makes 16 + servings.