I love olives. Green olives, black olives, kalamata olives, cerignolas, picholines, lucques … I love them all. And I love olives no matter how they are prepared … stuffed, fried, made into tapenade, or just straight out of the jar.

One of my favorite ways to prepare olives is to simply roast them in the oven with some oil and spices. The olives become warm and fragrant, and they almost seem to melt in your mouth. Served with some crusty bread, a hunk of cheese, and a bottle of wine, this has been my dinner on many a night! And since roasted olives are so simple to make, I always keep a few jars on hand … it’s a quick and delicious appetizer to whip up when company drops by unexpectedly.

I tend to use the same flavors whenever I make roasted olives (garlic, lemon, parsley, red pepper, and thyme), but almost any combination of spices you like would work!

Spicy Roasted Olives

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mixed green and black olives
• 10 whole garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• 2 or 3 fresh thyme sprigs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In a medium bowl, combine first 7 ingredients (olives through lemon) and mix well.

3. Transfer the olive mixture to a medium-sized baking dish. Top with thyme sprigs.

4. Bake for 30 minutes; transfer mixture to a serving dish and serve warm.