| The gourmands in your life will appreciate the | | | | Serve with antipasto, a loaf of sourdough bread |
| delicious ways you express yourself in the kitchen. | | | | and a hunk of vintage cheese. Serve on a mezze |
| Any one of these recipes will make a lovely | | | | plate with olives, figs, salami, marinated feta |
| hostess gift or a special occasion gift. These | | | | cheese or bocaccini balls, crisp fried zucchini chips, |
| recipes are simple and easy to follow and have a | | | | dolmas, hummus and pita. |
| real "WOW" presentation. Place them in a basket | | | | Marinated Feta Cheese - makes 2 pints |
| with colorful cloth napkins, a bottle of red wine | | | | - 1 pound block of feta cheese |
| and a fresh baguette of French bread. You can | | | | - ¾ cup milk |
| find unique glass canning jars with sealable lids at | | | | - ¾ cup water |
| garage sales, variety stores, or thrift shops. Be | | | | - 2 fresh sprigs rosemary |
| sure to label or tag all gifts and include serving | | | | - 2 fresh sprigs thyme |
| suggestions, or the recipes given here. | | | | - 2 bay leaves |
| Tomato Caper Tapenade - makes 1 cup | | | | - 2 small fresh red chilies |
| - ¾ cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained | | | | - 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds |
| - ¼ cup olive oil | | | | - 2 tsp juniper berries |
| - ¼ cup capers, drained | | | | - 1 tsp lemon zest |
| - 2 clover garlic | | | | - About 1 cup olive oil |
| - 1 tsp fresh lemon zest | | | | Sterilize 2 pint jars or 1 quart jar. Cut cheese into |
| - 1 Tbsp lemon juice | | | | 1 inch cubes, place in a large bowl, pour over milk |
| - 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves | | | | and water, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Drain |
| Wash one 8-ounce glass jar and lid in hot soapy | | | | and discard milk. Place cheese, herbs, chilies, |
| water and rinse thoroughly. Sterilize glass jar in | | | | seeds, berries, and zest in sterilized jars, cover |
| boiling water for 10 minutes. Invert on a towel | | | | with oil, leaving ½ inch between oil and top |
| and keep covered until needed. Place all ingredients | | | | of jar. Add more oil if needed. Seal jar. Best made |
| in a food processor and chop until smooth, spoon | | | | 2 days ahead. Store jar in a cool dark place up to |
| into a hot sterilized jar and seal. Best made 1 day | | | | 2 weeks. Refrigerate up to 6 weeks, let come to |
| before. Store up to 6 weeks in the refrigerator. | | | | room temperature before serving. |
| Serve with pita crisps, lavash, and French or | | | | Serve on salads, melt on top of homemade pizza, |
| Italian loaves. Make a tapenade bruschetta with | | | | include on a mezze plate or antipasto plate. Add |
| feta and fresh basil, slather tapenade on a | | | | to frittatas and macaroni dishes. Use the marinade |
| hamburger bun and top with a grilled burger, or | | | | for toasting bruschetta slices. |
| add it to aioli. | | | | Olives with Lemongrass and Chili - makes 2 cups |
| Marinated Italian Dried Peppers - makes 1 pint | | | | - 1 pound of ripe black olives with stones, drained |
| - 2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeded and | | | | - 1 lime |
| deveined | | | | - 1 ½ tsp cumin seeds |
| - 2 green bell peppers, quartered, seeded and | | | | - ¼ cup chopped fresh lemongrass, white |
| deveined | | | | tender part only |
| - 1 tsp sea salt | | | | - 1 pearl onion minced |
| - 4 cloves garlic | | | | - 2 small fresh red chilies, seeded and minced |
| - 2 tsp dried rosemary | | | | - About 1 cup hot olive oil |
| - 2 tsp dried tarragon | | | | Zest the lime and mix with olives, seeds, |
| - 1 tsp red pepper flakes | | | | lemongrass, onion and chili in a bowl. Heat olive oil |
| - Olive oil to cover | | | | over medium heat in a small sauce pan until hot, |
| Preheat oven 250° F. Sprinkle insides of | | | | but not smoking. Place olive mixture into sterilized |
| peppers with sea salt. Dry peppers on a wire rack | | | | jars, pour over hot olive oil, leaving ½ inch |
| in a slow oven for 3 hours, turning every hour. | | | | between oil and top of jar, seal immediately. Best |
| Add garlic to the drying rack and continue cooking | | | | made one week before serving. Refrigerate up to |
| until peppers are dry but not brittle. Peppers | | | | 2 months. |
| should be rubbery. Pack dried peppers into a hot | | | | Serve in salads, bake into bread and pizza crust, |
| sterilized jar with garlic and herbs. Pour in enough | | | | and add to mezze plates and antipasto platters. |
| olive oil to completely cover the peppers, and seal | | | | Add ripe black olives to 'al cacciatore, and pasta |
| jar. Best made 1 week ahead. Store up to 2 | | | | dishes. The possibilities are endless. |
| months in the refrigerator. | | | | |