You might be wondering what that weird foreign word is in the title. It’s the variety of one of my favorite Italian olives and is pronounced taj-jas-kay. These small greenish-purplish-brownish olives are cultivated on the rocky mountain slopes :: pendenze of the Italian Riviera in Liguria.
Taggiasche olives have a meaty texture and a slightly tart salty flavor. They are perfect ground up in this pesto or just plopped into various salads or entrees, especially with white fish like rockfish :: lo scorfano.
If there is one thing I beg of you, it’s to use a good rustic bread, not the store bought sliced kind. Mr. Italicano and I shot a video this weekend at our favorite bakery :: forno, Forno di Mario, located in Correggio. The video will be coming soon but in the meantime we took home a loaf of miracle bread made with natural yeast and antique grains. This bread was perfect for a light and crunchy bruschetta.
This appetizer :: antipasto is perfect for last minute guests as you can whip it together in just 5 minutes. It helps to have a jar of good quality taggiasche olives in the cupboard for occasions like this.
- 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- 12 ounces (340g) taggiasche olives, drained
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about half a lemon)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup (10g) loosely packed Italian flat leaf parsley
- 1 loaf of rustic bread, sliced
- Crumbled feta, as needed
- Put the oil, olives, lemon juice, garlic, capers and parsley in a food processor or blender and mix until slightly chunky. Add more extra virgin olive oil if needed to arrive at the desired consistency.
- Serve with toasted bread, some crumbled feta and parsley.
Here’s some other great recipe to try with taggiasche olives:
Rosemary and taggiasche olive dinner rolls
Marinated Feta, Basil, Taggiasche Olives and Sun-dried Tomatoes
Baked Goat Cheese with Tomatoes and Olives
Italian chickpea, sun-dried tomato, pesto and olive flatbread