Spicy Marinated Olives

Here's another  recipe to spice up the holidays--your's or someone else's.  I collect containers all year long.  I'd rather browse the Container Store than the aisles of a high end department store.  The Baker joined me on one such outing.  As I was placing various containers in my cart, he asked:  "What are you going to put in those"?  "Oh, I have no idea at the moment but I'll come up with something."  For these stylish Weck jars, spicy olives came to mind.  They are quite tasty on a relish tray and are a delicious addition to a gift basket.  

This is a combination of recipes tried over the years.  I believe it originally started with a Williams-Sonoma holiday cookbook and grew from there.

Spicy Marinated Olives 

2 cups of mixed, pitted olives
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 quarter of a lemon, thinly sliced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1.  Drain and rinse the olives and place into a lidded container.
2.  Add the garlic and lemon to the olives.
3.  In a small saucepan, combine the oregano, red pepper flakes, olive oil and white wine vinegar.  Bring to just below a boil.  Pour over the olives.  Put the lid on and let the container cool.  Place in the refrigerator.  These will last several weeks refrigerated.

ENJOY!