Citrus Marinated Olives

The brilliance of making your own marinated olives is that you alone customize the flavor of the dish. Take out an ingredient here and add one there… you have your own special blend! This recipe can use black or green olives – or both. Try it...great for tastes !

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2-inch wide, 3-inch long strip of lemon zest (about 1 medium lemon)
* 1 1/2-inch wide, 6-inch long strip of orange zest (about 1 medium orange)
* 1 cup olive oil
* 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
* 2 sprigs fresh thyme
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 pounds black or green brined olives

Preparation:

Coarsely chop the lemon and orange zest and transfer it to a medium-size saucepan. Add the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and pepper to the pan. Heat the mixture over low-medium heat for 6 minutes, just until the oil is hot. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the oil to cool to room temperature.

Place the olives in a large jar or glass container and pour the oil mixture over them. Cover the jar tightly with a lid and store in the refrigerator several days before serving. The olives will keep for up to 2 weeks store in the refrigerator. Great citrus marinated olives to richened other great recipes...