Olives For The Picking

What would summertime be without the olive? This millenniums old staple is always a welcome guest at picnics and barbecues. It's perfect chopped in salad or just on it's own. Foodies know that there are several different kids of them.It isn't just black and green but many shades in between.

Everyone knows olives are ancient but do they know how ancient? Legend has it that the goddess Athena first brought the fruit to the city named after her, Athens. The real story is that olive trees were first planted in the Mediterranean basin about 6,000 years ago. The plants originally came from Syria, Palestine and Persia (present day Iran). It was reportedly the Minoans source of wealth and what made their empire one of the wealthiest in antiquity. Religions also picked up the olive using it and its' oil in rites and symbolism. There are olive trees in Jerusalem that were first planted when Christ was there. America first saw the plant when Franciscans brought it with them to California. Currently it is still the Mediterranean that produces 93% of olives. In the states it is California that gives North America its' olive crop.

There are many different kinds of lives. Most of us usually just stick with the basic pimento stuffed green ones or the pitted black. These are good but if you want one with really rich and intense flavor then buy the Greek kalamata ones. These have been treated and pickled in a red wine vinegar brine for 12 months as opposed to the regular olives that have been given a lye bath. These are an intense deep purple color . Greece also has given us the Halidiki olive which is a tangy and green. It's the perfect mate for creamy feta . Southern Italy also produces its' large share of olives. The two most notable are the small fruity Bitetto and the larger, more robust Cerignola. You can serve these with a well rounded antipasto of provolone , prosciutto and mortadella along with crusty loaves of Italian bread. For fun snacking try the Gaeta, a purplish brown extra salty olive that is just good eaten by itself. Olives also come from France's lush Provence region where the tender Nicoise olive is grown. This is used in salads and making pissalderie a type of olive pizza.There are also the jet black Nyons and the verdant crunchy Picholines. The last has a wonderfully fruity taste and is perfect served for the holidays. Spain, another huge producer has a wide variety too.Their Arbequinas is of the green variety, small and bitter, while the Manzanilla, a large green kind that are familiar in America. The North Africa country of Morocco also produces olives, Theirs is the Beldo and is a small type of olive used more in cooking and salads and mixes.

A summer party deserves olives. There are so many to choose from , from the tart and winy Kalamatas to the Beldi and Gaeta for outdoor Southern Italian style feasts. Don't just settle on the every day ones. Experience all the different types of this ancient, delicious fruit.