Category: Olives

Carrot Potato Soup

11/29/2023

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Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 medium-sized onion, diced (any color is fine)
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 celery stick, diced
1 lb. (5 medium sized carrots) peeled and diced
1 lb. (2 medium sized potatoes) peeled and diced
1 tsp Italian herbs
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp dried parsley (optional)
⅛ tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
½ tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
2-3 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, and cook for an extra minute until fragrant.
Add carrots, potatoes, celery, herbs, salt and pepper to the pot. Give a good stir and cook for about 2-3 minutes to enhance their flavor.
Stir in the broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Turn the heat off, and let it cool slightly.
Transfer 1 cup of the soup to a container in which you can blend it until smooth. This way you get a creamier soup. You can skip this step if you wish.
Return the blended soup to the soup, toss well to combine and taste to adjust the seasoning to your taste. It depends on the broth you used, you might need to adjust the salt. Stir in the parsley.
Serve with freshly ground black pepper, extra parsley, and crusty bread.

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Blue Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Peppers

8/25/2021

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Ingredients
2 medium sweet red peppers
2 medium sweet yellow peppers
1 jar (14 ounces) pizza sauce or pasta sauce, divided
1 pound uncooked bulk pork sausage
3/4 cup uncooked instant rice
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives
1-1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
Crumbled blue cheese, optional

Directions

Cut and discard tops from peppers; remove seeds.
Pour sauce into bottom of a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker, reserving 3/4 cup.
In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; add reserved sauce. Spoon mixture into peppers; place in slow cooker.
Cook, covered, on low until peppers are tender, 3-1/2-4-1/2 hours.
Spoon cooking juices over peppers. If desired, top with additional blue cheese.

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MARA’S GLUTEN-FREE POTATO PIZZA

9/30/2020

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MARA’S GLUTEN-FREE POTATO PIZZA
Serves 4
Time: 1½ hours

1¼ to 1½ lbs. yellow potatoes (3 cups boiled & chopped)
7 oz. sliced smoked scamorza* cheese
½ cup gluten-free brown rice flour
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 extra large egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon of salted capers, rinsed and dried
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
12 fresh basil leaves
12 pitted and sliced Taggiasche olives
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt

Wash the potatoes. Put them in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil and then cook for about 35 minutes until cooked. They will be done when you can pierce easily with a fork.
Drain the potatoes. When cooled, peel them and cube them.
Puree the potatoes in a food processor or with a potato masher.
Knead the mashed potatoes with the flour, parmesan and egg into a dough.
Roll out the dough until it is the size of a 24” diameter pizza pan.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Cook the rolled-out dough on its pizza pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover it with slices of scamorza, the cherry tomatoes, the dried oregano and the capers. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Return to the oven for a final 5 minutes.
Arrange the slices of olives and the whole basil leaves.
Slice and serve.

*Scamorza cheese is a smoked white semi-soft cheese. It is possible to substitute with a good, well-drained mozzarella.

Variations:

Replace the cherry tomatoes with 2 grilled peppers cut to strips and add 20 grams of anchovy fillets in oil.
Substitute Scamorza with Mozzarella or Taleggio cheese and substitute the oregano with rosemary. Or just add the rosemary.
Substitute the capers with thinly sliced red onions.

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Spinach, Feta and Orzo Salad

5/22/2019

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Serves 4
8 to 10 ounces orzo pasta
¼ cup pine nuts
6 ounces feta cheese, roughly crumbled
10 pitted Kalamata Greek olives, roughly chopped
6 ounces baby spinach, thoroughly washed
½ cup red onion, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 to 3 fresh basil leaves, shredded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat small dry skillet over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and stir occasionally until the pine nuts are lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Set aside.
Put half of the spinach and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a food processor or blender to purée it. Set aside.
Roughly chop the remaining spinach. Set aside.
In a small sealable jar, combine the remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, mustard and the fresh basil. Put a lid on the jar and shake to combine.
Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a roiling boil. Add the orzo and return to a boil. Cook until al dente, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well. Return the drained orzo to the pot and add the puréed spinach and oil. Mix together gently until thoroughly combined. Place in a large serving bowl.
Add the roughly chopped spinach, red onion, feta cheese, toasted pine nuts and the olives to the bowl. Drizzle with the dressing from the jar.
Toss lightly and serve.

NOTE: This dish may be served hot or room temperature.

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TOMATO GOAT CHEESECAKE

8/23/2017

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Serves: 6 – 8 as an appetizer

1 prepared pie crust

8 ounces softened goat cheese , at room temperature
1 -8 oz. package unflavored gelatin softened in 1½ tablespoons of water
½ cup heavy cream
1 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges and oven roasted & cooled
½ cup diced tomatoes
1½ teaspoon sugar
10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, save the smallest for garnishing
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon of salt
16 pitted kalamata olives, divided into 8 & 8
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
Fresh salad greens and a good Italian bread, sliced

Equipment: spring-form baking pan

Preheat oven to 325º.
Roll out the pie crust to about ⅔ to ¼ inch thick.
Line the bottom of the spring form pan with the piecrust, with just a slightly raised edge around the perimeter. Pierce the dough with a fork at intervals. Bake in the heated oven for about 25 minutes, until golden.
Remove piecrust to a rack to cool.
Meanwhile, place the cheese, cream, dissolved gelatin, diced tomatoes, half of the onion wedges, sugar, white pepper, salt, half the basil leaves and half of the olives into a food processor or blender. Pulse until smooth.
Pour the cheese mixture into the spring-form baking pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Let the cheesecake come to room temperature before serving.
Carefully remove the cheesecake from the form, retaining the bottom and place it on the flat surface of a serving dish.
Garnish the top of the cheesecake with the cherry tomatoes, the remaining olives, onion wedges and basil leaves.
Serve with fresh salad greens and a good crusty Italian bread

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Carrot Potato Soup

Blue Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Peppers

MARA’S GLUTEN-FREE POTATO PIZZA

Spinach, Feta and Orzo Salad

TOMATO GOAT CHEESECAKE

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