You may have noticed from my other socials that we have escaped Toronto and finally headed to Spain. Our first trip in February was cancelled by you know what. We are here for 51 days. The sun and relative warmth have been life-altering. I wake up just to see the sunrise on the Mediterranean (it’s not that bad, 7:30-ish during our stay).
Our kitchen in the flat (my cousin’s flat) is challenging from a size point. I have fitted it with most of my favourite tools so I can do most things but finding a place to do them can be a challenge. Most people who rent do take away or go out to one of the many restaurants in this little village. The Spaniards like to eat late (9pm would be considered an early dinner) but I find it difficult to eat that late, so we end up going out for lunch and having a light dinner around 7pm. Although the first few attempts to lunch were failures as many places don’t open until at least 1:30 (we don’t eat breakfast) and they close between 2-5pm for Siesta. Don’t get me started on Siesta, it is a beloved ritual in the smaller centres. This little recipe was developed to take us through cocktails one evening.
Retro Olive Balls
A KitchenInspirations Original Recipe
Makes 8 pastry-wrapped olives
Ingredients:
- 15 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 60 g cheese, we used manchego
- 60 g flour
- 15 g roasted garlic purée
- Salt, pepper to taste
- water to bind
- 8 olives
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350° F.
- Combine everything but the olives in the small bowl of a food processor and process until combined. If the dough still doesn’t come together, add a few drops of water and pulse until it comes together.
- Divide the dough into eight equal portions. Roll each portion into a small circle and wrap around each olive, rolling in your hand until it is smooth. Repeat until all of the olives are wrapped.
- Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet until golden, serve warm.
Notes:
- I used unpitted Spanish Manzanilla Olives because it is what I had at home, black olives or even pimento-stuffed olives would be lovely with this recipe. Make sure you mention to your guests that the olives are with pitts.
- Double or triple this recipe for more tasty little balls.
What a lovely little appetizer to have with a glass of wine, especially with that wonderful view.
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Thanks Karen, we thoroughly enjoyed both.
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I love your idea, as I think it would be as much fun to shop in local markets as it would to east restaurant food. But 9 PM? What time do they go to bed?
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I feel you Eva! I don’t eat breakfast and like lunch and an early dinner because I like the food to start digesting. I hate going to bed feeling really full. What a great snack to get you through!
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When we are in Spain we go grazing for tapas between 7 and 9pm, but unfortunately not all towns have many bars with a good spread. In some places good wine is 2 euros per glass and includes a free tapa; I don’t know how they do it.
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I’ve never had olive filled / wrapped patry – I’m intrigued indeed! And enjoy your vacation, it sounds dreamy!
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You’re in such a pretty part of the world. I can’t eat that late, alas. Although it’s always fun to fill up on tapas at various drinking establishments. 🙂 Or just make a batch of these, and call it dinner!
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That was the toughest part for when we visited. It was impossible to get coffee in the early morning. There’s no way I can eat dinner even at 9 PM! But to be able to go to the market and cook yourself sounds wonderful, and these olive balls are divine! I love that they’re baked. Enjoy your vacation!
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So glad you were able to get away!! Bill has to have a stash of green olives in the refrigerator, so I will find an excuse to make these!!!
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Your living room views are amazing! These baked olive balls indeed make a great appetizer!
angiesrecipes
http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com
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