3 Easy Holiday Appetizers with Olives

Every holiday season, I always look forward to the holiday appetizers and side dishes so here are three of my favorite olive-based appetizers that will steal away the show without you spending hours in the kitchen!

First up, my go-to sourdough focaccia recipe topped with dollops of basil pesto and a variety of olives!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Mezzetta Sliced Castelvetrano Olives
• 1/3 cup Mezzetta Pitted Kalamata Olives
• 1/3 cup Basil Pesto
• 75-100 grams Active Sourdough Starter
• 10 grams Salt
• 430 grams Warm Water
• 520 grams All Purpose Flour
• 4-6 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Flaky Sea Salt

Instructions:

Day 1

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the active sourdough starter, salt, and water. Mix well.
2. Add the flour and mix until completely incorporated (all flour absorbed). Cover and rest in a warm environment for 30 minutes.
3. Perform one fold, as explained. Imagine the bowl divided into 4 corners. Gently scoop from the bottom and lift up one corner without the dough breaking as high as it’ll go, then fold toward the center of the dough. Rotate the bowl to the next “corner” and repeat. Repeat for a total of 10 times.
4. Cover and rest the dough in a warm environment for 4-12 hours, until doubled in volume.
5. Drizzle 2 tbsp. olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. I also recommend lining the bottom with parchment paper to prevent anything problems when baking.
6. Rub your hands with a little olive oil, then gently remove the dough from the sides of the bowl to transfer to the prepared baking dish.
7. Fold like an envelope and place seam-side down.
8. To continue baking same day, skip this step. Cover the baking dish with Saran Wrap and place in the fridge overnight.

> NOTE before transferring to the fridge:

If your kitchen is 75F or cooler, and the dough is not super jiggly or has risen a lot, I recommend letting it sit on the counter overnight to help it to rise. For example, my home stays around 72-76F, so I’ll start the dough around 2pm and let it sit out overnight to bake around 7-8am the next morning.

Day 2

1. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden on top. Let cool at least 20 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
2. Remove the focaccia from the fridge to sit in a warm environment (room temperature) for 4 hours, nearly doubled in volume.
3. Preheat oven to 430F.
4. Gently stretch the dough to fit the pan.
5. Drizzle the focaccia with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, then use your fingers to press into the dough to create dimples all over the surface.
6. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, then evenly distribute the olives on top and dollops of basil pesto. Add flaky salt, as well. 

Next up, is this Whipped Ricotta with Caramelized Almonds & Olives served alongside crunchy crostini… the sweet n’ salty and creamy n’ crunchy components make it soooo freaking good you guys!!

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. Whole Milk Ricotta, or Farmers Cheese
• ¼ cup Heavy Cream
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• ½ cup Sliced Almonds
• 4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and sliced
• ½ jar Mezzetta Sliced Castelvetrano Olives
• ¼ cup Maple Syrup
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• Crostini, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a food processor, combine the ricotta, heavy cream, and lemon zest. Blend until light and fluffy. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Spread out evenly on a serving dish. 
2. In a skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil for 1 minute. 
3. Reduce heat to medium, then add the sliced almonds and garlic to sauté 2-3 minutes, until toasted. 
4. Add the sliced olives and maple syrup to cook another 2-3 minutes, until slightly caramelized and sticky. Spoon the mixture on top of the whipped ricotta.
5. Garnish with fresh herbs and flaky sea salt to enjoy with the crostini!

And lastly, we have my sweet n’ spicy marinated olives stuffed with fresh feta cheese and ohhhh myyy word!! My sister-in-law, mom, and I could’ve eaten three tons of this!! Also, the prep time is like 15 minutes MAX so super easy.

Ingredients:

• 1 jar Mezzetta Pitted Castelvetrano Olives
• 3 oz. Feta Cheese
• ½ cup Olive Oil
• 2 tbsp. Maple Syrup
• Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
• 1 tbsp. Fresh Mint, chopped
• 1 tbsp. Chopped Calabrian or Calabrese Peppers

Instructions:

1. Stuff each pitted olive with the feta cheese, then place in a large mason jar or serving dish. 
2. In a separate bowl or jar, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over the olives so they’re fully submerged in the olive oil mixture. Let marinate in the fridge for 4 hours to overnight. 
3. If marinating overnight, let rest at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving. Enjoy!

Cook with me!