Zesty Marinated Olives with Goat Cheese

I can’t get enough of holiday appetizers even if it’s just for my small family gathering. This dish is salty, and creamy with bursts of flavor from the roasted lemon. This recipe is featured in Inside Northside Magazine’s November/December 2020 issue. Flip over to page 88 to read my holiday appetizer recipes. You’ll also see the Sweet and Salty Date mix recipe. We’d love to see which one you’re making so tag us on Instagram at @InsideNorthside and @Y_delicacies.

Zesty Marinated Olives and Goat Cheese

 Yvette Jemison YDelicacies.com

Servings: 4-6

 ½ cup olive oil, divided

1 lemon, sliced seeds removed

10 ounces pitted Castelvetrano olives, well drained 

4 garlic cloves, smashed

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½  teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Zest from 1 lemon, removed in wide strips

6 ounces goat cheese

Loaf of rustic bread or flatbread

1. Warm 1 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet on medium heat.  Add the lemon slices and cook until caramelized, 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer lemons to a cutting board and let sit until cool enough to coarsely chop. Clean the skillet before continuing.

2. Add the remaining oil, olives, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper and lemon zest into the skillet on medium low heat.  Cook until garlic is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

3. Cool olive and oil blend for 20 minutes. 

4. Meanwhile, crumble goat cheese into generous bite size pieces and arrange on a rimmed serving dish. Tear bread into bite size pieces and arrange on serving platter. 

5. Pour warm olive blend over the cheese. Top with the coarsely chopped caramelized lemons.  Serve warm or at room temperature with rustic bread torn into bite size pieces or flatbread.