Athenian Table Olives
Submitted by Vivian Efthymiopoulou

[Recipes Index] [World of Chefs]

One of the favorite dishes for ancient Athenians were table olives with goat cheese. This dish must have been very common, otherwise I cannot explain why although is mentioned by writers very often. Athenaeus refers to it as a must of the Greek cuisine. Aristophanes the comedian mentions it in tree different comedies. But I haven't found a recipe! Its worth mentioning why a comedian mentions olives in his plays three times. He uses them as metaphors! According to Aristophanes, young women are like the green olives and the older ones are like the black wrinkled ones! And surprise surprise! In the Odyssey, this appetizer is always present on Ulysses' table! The tiny, easy recipe below is mine. That means that you have to work on it!!

Ingredients:

• 500 gr feta cheese
• 1 onion
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 100gr table olives (I use green olives because I love them)
• 500gr olive oil

Preparation:

Dice the feta cheese in small cubes and place it in a jar with the oil, the rosemary, the chopped onion and the olives. Shake it well and keep it in the fridge 48 hours before you use it. You can keep it there for 3 months. In our house we keep them 2 days.

You can use the olive oil several times , just adding cheese and olives, or put it in the blender and use it as salad dressing. I would suggest you to do it the Greek way. Toast some bread and dip it in this mixture!

NOTE : I use black pepper also, but in Ancient Greece they didn't use pepper!