Recipes: 3 easy, elegant appetizers

Recipe: House-brand olives
"This may seem like a lot of olives," says Linda, "but they keep for quite a while and taste delicious. Friends will ask where you get them; you will smile and change the subject. Buy the largest, best-tasting olives possible, as they will make the most dramatic and mouth-watering presentation, or alternatively use four or five different shapes and sizes of olives for an eclectic look and taste."

Ingredients
2 1/4 lb large unpitted green olives (Green Super Mammoth, if possible)
2 1/4 lb large unpitted black olives (Kalamata Colossal, if possible)
1/2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
1 bunch rosemary, cleaned and chopped, reserving 3 to 5 sprigs for garnish
2 large sprigs thyme, cleaned and chopped
3 to 4 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced, the other thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Zest of 1/3 orange, reserving 1 to 2 tsp for garnish
2/3 cup (160 mL) olive oil

Mix together all ingredients in a large container. Cover and marinate, tossing occasionally, in a cool place for at least 36 hours.

Serve portions in a shallow bowl decorated with the additional rosemary sprigs and orange zest. 

The olives will keep in the refrigerator for a month. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Makes 4 1/2 lb.

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Excerpted from The Ace Bakery Cookbook, (Whitecap, 2003). Top photo by Chris Freeland.