Olives. The Other Crudités.

Because I love my apartment, I love entertaining friends in it. And part of being a good entertainer is having on hand lots fun serving pieces. Presentation can be everything and is always fun to visualize and create. One thing I like to serve a lot is an assortment of olives, usually along with other appetizers. It's purely selfish, if the truth be know, because I adore olives! I have a few different dishes for serving them - some really funky, and some unexpected classics. I love my long and narrow white ceramic olive dish - it makes a sleek display of mixed olives and other small savories. From Sur la Table these look quite modern and chic (and only $8!). Or if things are a little more casual, I like to bring out my handpainted large olive bowl and its sidekick 'pits'.















I'm so fond of olives, I'm even going to share with you my friend Eszter's delicious recipe for herb marinated olives:



1 1/4lb brine cured olives (use an unflavored Italian brand)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 1/2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

These are so good, you might start an olive obsession, too.

Get inspired and creative with your serving dishes, like these two pieces I mixed and matched from flea market finds. Two totally separate pieces, but I love the colors together. And the prettier the food looks the better it tastes.