Almond-stuffed olives most likely originated in the Mediterranean because both the dish’s main ingredients—olives and almonds—are an integral part of Mediterranean cuisine. Olives are common in all the countries along the Mediterranean coast and elsewhere in the region. Fossils of olive trees have been dated to between 20–40 million years ago, although cultivation didn’t begin until about 7,000 years ago in the Mediterranean. It was Spanish colonists who first introduced olives to the New World. The other main ingredient of this recipe, almonds are thought to have originated in China and Central Asia. Explorers traveling the Silk Road between Asia and the Mediterranean ate almonds and before long almond trees were growing throughout the Mediterranean region especially in Spain and Italy. The almond tree was brought to California from Spain in the mid-1700s.
Recipe Servings: 12
+ 8 hours resting
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched almonds, toasted
- 3 cans (6 oz each) pitted black olives, drained
- 3 jars (7 oz each) pimiento-stuffed olives, undrained
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
- ½ cup dry red wine
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp sugar
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp dill weed
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried parsley flakes
Directions
- Insert an almond into each black olive and put them in a large bowl.
- Add the pimiento-stuffed olives to the bowl with their juice.
- Whisk together the vinegar, wine, oil, garlic, sugar, and seasonings in a small bowl.
- Pour the mixture over the olives, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Serve cold.
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