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Olives have long ceased to be a Mediterranean exotic on our table. Juicy, delicious and healthy fruits of the evergreen tree are used in many recipes. They are added to salads, soups, focaccia, pizza, pasta and pesto sauce, served with meat and fish dishes, they are decorated with cocktails and snacks.
Olives from Athens
According to ancient Greek myths, the history of olives began from the moment when the goddess Athena presented an olive as a gift to people. The fruits of this tree became a symbol of happiness and well-being for ancient people. Subsequently, olive trees began to be grown in ancient Rome. In the I century BC, the Romans conquered almost the entire Mediterranean and planted olive trees everywhere. So gradually useful olives spread throughout Europe and around the world.
In which countries do olives grow? There are olive groves in Southern Europe, North Africa, South and North America, Asia and Australia. But the leaders in the production of olives are four countries-Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey. In small quantities, olives are grown in France, Morocco, Portugal and Tunisia. Spain is the most prolific for olives, but gourmets all over the world unanimously recognize sunny Italy as the country of olives.
Olives and olives: what is the difference?
Some consider olives and olives to be different varieties of the olive tree fruit. However, this is an erroneous opinion. The difference between olives and olives is only in the degree of their maturity. In other countries, there is no word “olives”, since both black and green fruits are called olives. Slightly unripe olives, which are removed in October, have shades of green and yellow. November olives are pink and light brown, December olives are maroon, red — black, dark purple and dark brown.
The ripe fruits of olive trees are very oily and fatty, so they are squeezed out of oil, and green and yellow are canned. The fact is that fresh fruits have a slightly bitter taste, so they are not eaten raw.
When olives are soaked in a brine enriched with oxygen, they darken and turn into olives that are familiar to us. If you want to try olives of a natural dark shade, buy expensive fruits. They are more dull and unevenly colored, and the brine in which they swim is not dark, but transparent.
Olives are a delicious medicine
Olives of all colors are equally useful. They are rich in antioxidants, unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, phosphorus and iron. It does not matter where olives are grown — in Greece, Israel or Iran. Olive oil is one of the most valuable products on the planet, because it strengthens the heart and blood vessels, successfully fights diabetes, cancer, heart attack and stroke. The most useful thing is unrefined cold-pressed oil, which was appreciated by Adam in the Old Testament. It was this tree that God gave Adam to squeeze oil out of the fruit and be healed of diseases.
Olives are useful for both men and women. The representatives of the strong half of humanity increase the quality of sperm and increase the level of testosterone. For women, the fruits of the olive tree act as rejuvenating apples, improving the condition of the skin, hair, nails and increasing the ability to conceive.
Dried olives are very useful. They are dried in the sun, so they retain all the vitamins and do not contain preservatives.
Amazing things about olives
It seems that we know everything about olives, but then new interesting facts will certainly come up. This makes us once again wonder at the diversity and ingenuity of nature.
Did you know that olives are similar in size to berries, in structure they can be attributed to fruits, and in taste-to vegetables? However, botanically they belong to the olive family. However, it is not so important what to call these fruits, because this will not make them less tasty or useful.
Not everyone knows that the seeds of olives contain a high concentration of nutrients, vitamins and trace elements. But since it is impossible to eat them in the usual way, it is recommended to grind the bones in a coffee grinder and take them as medicine. They contain a large amount of fatty acids, minerals, vitamin E, proteins and carbohydrates. Surprisingly, there is even more benefit in the bones than in the pulp of the fruit!
Olive fantasies
Dishes with olives will be a culinary revelation for you. These pleasant and delicious fruits add spicy notes to the food.
Everyone is already used to salads with olives and pickles, but what about pea soup-puree with olives? It has a very unusual taste and appetizing appearance.
Soak half a cup of peas for a few hours, and then cook it in 2 cups of water. After about an hour, it will become soft. But while the soup is cooking, do not waste time in vain — finely chop 1 small pepper, tomato and carrot, and then fry them in vegetable oil.
Put the vegetables in the peas and turn the soup into a puree with a blender, season with salt and pepper. Finely chop half a can of olives and half a small zucchini.
Pour the soup on plates, add olives with zucchini and some herbs. Useful, simple, delicious and beautiful!
Appetizer for French ladies
Tapenade is a thick paste of olives, capers, olive oil, garlic, spices and lemon juice. This is the real pride of Provencal cuisine. French sauce is used as a base for sandwiches or as a dressing for salads, meat and fish dishes. Olive paste is even stuffed with fish in France! It can be served on a festive table to surprise guests, although true French ladies serve tapenade much more often-with sandwiches. Such a breakfast gives strength, vigor and energy.
So, throw half a jar of black olives, 2 tbsp capers, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 tsp mustard, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp lemon juice, a bunch of finely chopped parsley or basil, salt and black pepper to taste into the bowl of a blender. Whisk all the ingredients with a blender until a homogeneous paste. You can also add finely chopped dried tomatoes, canned tuna or anchovy fillets.
Externally, tapenada pasta resembles black caviar, differing in richness and richness of taste.
Bread abundance
Bread with olives and onions will make a pleasant variety in the home diet. If desired, you can change the ingredients — use garlic instead of onions, introduce fragrant herbs and spices.
Finely chop 2 tbsp. l. black olives, and finely chop half of the onion. Fry the onion in vegetable oil until golden brown.
And now do the test. Sift 250 g of flour, add a pinch of salt to it, make a slide with a recess on the table and pour 7 g of dry fast-acting yeast into it. Pour 100 ml of water into the recess and slowly, calmly, gently knead the dough from the edges of the slide to the center.
Add the onion to the dough and continue to knead. Roll out the tortilla, put the olives on it and wrap the edges of the dough to the center. Knead the dough a little more, form a ball and place it in a greased form where you plan to bake bread.
Let the dough stand in the form in a warm place for an hour, so that it rises. Bake for 40 minutes at a temperature of 200 °C.
Fragrant, nostrum and airy bread is eaten instantly if there are men and children in the house.
“Hot” in Spanish
Stewed chicken with olives is a classic dish for everyday lunch or dinner. Instead of chicken, you can take beef or pork, and serve rice, pasta or potatoes as a side dish.
Cut 1 kg of chicken fillet into small pieces, finely chop 2 onions and 1 bell pepper. Fry the meat until golden brown in a thick-bottomed saucepan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fry not all the meat at once, but in small portions.
Put the meat in a bowl and fry the onions in the same bowl. When it turns golden, add 1 tbsp. l. flour and 1 tsp. Provencal herbs, then continue to fry for another 1 minute.
Put the chicken pieces back into the pan, pour in 150 ml of dry white wine and bring it to a boil. Add salt, sugar and black pepper to taste. Simmer the stew over low heat until the meat becomes soft.
Add 150 g of canned chickpeas, bell pepper, 2 cloves of garlic, 50 g of chopped olives and cook for another 15 minutes. Let the dish sweat a little under the closed lid and call the household to the table.
Soft and flavorful meat will appeal to both adults and children!
Our website contains the most interesting and proven recipes with olives. Use them and create culinary masterpieces in your kitchen!