Smashed Olives Food

OLIVE OIL AND HERB CRUSHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to a boil, add a generous pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a plate to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the shallot, lemon zest and lemon juice in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.
• Using your fingers, lightly crush the potatoes and transfer to the large bowl. Add the olive oil and mix gently, then fold in the arugula, parsley, dill and chives. Season generously with salt and pepper. Serve right away.

SMASHED OLIVES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, gently mash olives to break skin. Add next 7 ingredients and, if desired, gin. Toss to coat; cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. , To serve, drain olives, reserving oil for another use; discard bay leaves.

HERBY POTATO SALAD WITH SMASHED OLIVES

Steps:

• Place the potatoes in a large pot; add 2 teaspoons salt and enough water to cover generously. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until just tender when pierced with a fork. (Be careful not to overcook!) Drain and set aside until just cool enough to handle.
• While the potatoes cook, in a large bowl, combine the vinegar and mustard with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Add the olives, shallot and capers, and set aside to marinate for 10 to 20 minutes.
• When the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut them in half (or quarters, to end up with bite-size pieces), and add them to the bowl with the dressing. Gently combine and set aside to cool completely, tossing occasionally.
• Stir in the mint and parsley, along with more salt and pepper to taste, and serve the potato salad at room temperature.

SQUASHED CHERRY TOMATO AND SMASHED OLIVE BRUSCETTA

Steps:

• This is probably the quickest salad or bruschetta I make, but no less tasty for that. Very few ingredients, simple flavors, complete sense. Try to make use of the wider range of cherry tomatoes available now: yellow, tige, and plum cherry tomatoes for instance. And, as I always say, it's much better, taste-wise, to buy olives with their stones still in than without. Trust me.
• Simply squash your tomatoes into a bowl. I always have to put one hand over the tomatoes as I do this as juice and pips go everywhere (generally on me). You can be as rough with the tomatoes as you like, as the salad looks much better rough and rustic than perfect and pretty. Then, gently smash the olives on a board with a hard object, like a cup or a rolling-pin. Remove the stones, throw the olives in with the tomatoes, and toss together. Add a few glugs of oil, the oregano, a drizzle of vinegar, crumbled chile, and rip in the basil. Season, to taste, and that's your salad.
• Griddle or toast the slices of bread and rub with the garlic clove, pile on the tomatoes, and rip the mozzarella and lay over the top drizzle with a little bit more oil and finish with shaves of Parmesan.

SMASHED TOMATO AND OLIVE SALAD

Steps:

• In serving bowl, squeeze the tomatoes.
• Squeeze the olives in same bowl.
• Add olive oil and red wine vinegar.
• Set aside until ready to eat.
• Tear in as much basil as you can.
• Voila.

SMASHED AND FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• Place a steamer basket in a large pot filled with an inch of water and add the potatoes and salt. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Steam until the potatoes are just tender when pierced with a paring knife, about 25 minutes. (Don't overcook: they won't hold together when flattened.) Remove the basket and let the potatoes cool enough to be handled.
• Gently squeeze the potatoes, one at a time, between your palms so that they flatten slightly but remain in one piece (some will break, but they can still be used). Pour 1/4 inch of oil into a medium frying pan set over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes in batches to avoid crowding, and fry on both sides until crisp and browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with sea salt.

SMASHED KALAMATA OLIVE DIP WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• Put all ingredients except olive oil in food processor and pulse until it is fairly finely chopped up but not mushy.
• If you don't have a food processor, just use a knife and finely chop.
• Add olive oil to cover.
• Serve with slices of hearty bread or crackers.
• It will keep for 3 days.

BAKED RIGATONI WITH RED PEPPERS AND GREEN OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until onion is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add roasted red peppers and salt; season with black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is jammy, 8-10 minutes. Add olives, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until tomato paste is slightly darkened in color, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, and their liquid and cook, stirring often, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes.
• While sauce is cooking, place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until very al dente (about 2 minute less than package directions; pasta will continue to cook in the oven). Drain pasta, reserving ⅓ cup pasta cooking liquid.
• Add pasta and reserved pasta cooking liquid to sauce. Reduce heat to medium and stir in butter, oregano, and half of Parmesan. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce is thickened and glossy and coats pasta, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in half of mozzarella.
• Transfer pasta to a 13x9" baking dish and spread into an even layer. Scatter remaining Parmesan and mozzarella over. Bake until bubbling around the edges, 15-20 minutes.
• Heat broiler. Broil pasta until top is brown and crisp in spots, about 3 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then top with basil for serving.