Marinated Olives

Every so often, I need some Me Time. It's just a couple of hours to do as I like (go for a massage, watch Sex in the City re-runs, or read a book.) Since the arrival of my little guy last November, I have had little to no Me Time. Don't get me wrong, motherhood is a joy and our little guy is just great. But sometimes, a girl needs to relax.

This weekend, I got my wish. A spa day with my girlfriends while my husband took over as the primary caregiver. An afternoon of pampering and relaxation is what I needed. After hours of kneading, buffing, and steaming, I felt reborn.

The only way to end the day was with a vodka martini with fat green olives.

Even if you don't like martinis, these marinated olives are out of this world. Large and meaty, these olives pack quite a punch spiked with heaps of chili flakes and lots of lemon. Serve them as part as a tapas or antipasto platter, or toss in a Greek salad.

However, these olives do require a little pre-planning... to fully enjoy these beauties, they need to rest in the back of your fridge for at least a week for the flavour to develop.

Oh, and the best moment of my Me Time was when I returned home. My son was clean and fed and the two men in my life were all smiles.


Marinated Olives

1 lb large green olives in brine (pitted or unpitted)
1 lemon
2 tbsp chili flakes (or to taste)

1. Strain olives from brine and place in a large bowl.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel long swaths of lemon zest. Place on top of olives. Slice lemon in half, cross-wise, and juice. Add juice to olives. Toss well.
3. In a clean jar, fill with olive mixture.
4. Top up with remaining brine until full.
5. Place in fridge and allow olives to marinate for at least 1 week for optimal flavour.

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Dining Al Fresco: Greek Salad

Finally, summer has arrived! The signs are clear: the farmer's market was open for business this week, and of course, we turned on our air conditioning for the first time this year!

The most apparent sign, of course, is my garden is starting to take off.... I see flower buds forming on my tomatoes plants, the mizuna is lush and the cucumber seeds have finally sprouted. My radishes have shown their true leaves and we can't wait to snack! (Fingers crossed.)



Unfortunately, none of my lettuce sprouted (I had to re-seed), but I found this nut growing in the lettuce beds likely planted by some wily squirrel last autumn.



Summer is a natural time for salads. Cool, refreshing and light-tasting made with in-season produce. When it's hot in the kitchen, I love a fresh salad with a side of grilled garlic bread for dinner. However, one of the salads I never like was Greek salad. In my defense, my introduction to Greek salad was not exactly inspiring: Insipid soggy iceberg lettuce, weighted down by grainy tasteless tomatoes and oily dressing. But that changed for me about two years ago, when my future husband and I went to Montreal to visit his parents. They took us to a fantastic Greek restaurant where I was properly introduced to Greek salad: Fresh sweet tomatoes, crispy crunchy peppers, graced with lightest touch of olive oil, and delicate salty feta. I came home that weekend with a new love and made that salad almost every weekend last summer. This salad has easily become one of my favourites.

In the warm days of summer, this is such a beautiful, colourful and clean-tasting salad to eat. It's a perfect accompaniment to chicken soulvaki and lots of tzatziki.

The secret to this salad is to slightly pickle the red onion for at least half an hour. The onions remains crunchy, but the onion's sharp taste muted. It takes away the bite (and also the bad breath!) The rose-tinged vinegar doubles as part of the vinaigrette.




Greek Salad

1 small onion - sliced thinly
1 c white vinegar
3 Roma tomatoes, cut into bite sized chunks
1 small sweet yellow pepper, cut into bite sized chunks
1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into half moons
1/4 tsp ground oregano (or a small handful of fresh oregano leaves)
1/3 c Kalamata olives
1/3 c crumbled goat's milk feta

extra virgin olive oil
large flake sea salt

1. Soak onions in vinegar. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
2. Toss peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and oregano together.
3. Top with olives and drained red onions.
4. Sprinkle feta.
5. Drizzle 1.5 tbsp of the vinegar and olive oil on top.
6. Serve.
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