Tags

, , ,

 

Every holiday season I try to create a gift from my kitchen and this year my lovely friend Heleen came over and we created these delicious gifts.  They were super easy and so much fun!  I scoured all the dollar stores and found these lovely jars…the secret is to plan ahead and have everything ready.

These are wonderful hostess gifts.

You can serve the marinated chévre with crunchy bread and then use the flavoured olive oil for salad dressing or cooking.

Enjoy and Happy Holiday Gift Giving!!!

 

Marinated Olives

8 –  6 ounce  jars

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon
  • 1 orange
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 3 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon oregano chopped
  • 3 cups Kalamata olives
  • 2 1/2 cups Feta stuffed green olives (you can use whatever olives that are your favourite)

 Directions

  1. In a large bowl, grate zest of one lemon, add chopped oregano, add  2 cups of olive oil, juice of a lemon, add olives and mix.
  2. Spoon olives and mixture into tightly sealed containers.
  3. Cut off orange peel, ensure there is no yellow pith, thinly slice  orange peel into strips; add to each jar.
  4. Peel garlic, cut in half, crush  a little with side of chef’s knife. Add a clove half to each jar.
  5. Top off with oregano sprig and more olive oil to cover olives.
  6. Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

 Marinated Chévre Cheese

12 –  6 ounce Jars

Ingredients

  • 6  – 100 grams chévre goat cheese logs, cut each log into 10 equal pieces
  • 12 red chilis
  • 1 lemon, cut in slim slices
  • Lemon zest from one lemon
  • 12 bay leaves
  • 2 teaspoons of fresh oregano, chopped
  • 12 small sprigs of fresh rosemary (Heleen brought some from her garden…so lovely)
  • 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
  • 12 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoon whole peppercorns
  • 1.5 Liters extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Cut each chévre goat cheese log into 1o equal pieces; form into balls. Pack 5 balls in each sterilized jar.
  2. Add a chile, pinch of  lemon zest, 1 bay leaf, pinch of oregano, fennel seeds, one garlic clove, peppercorns, into jar.
  3. Pour in olive oil to cover cheese.
  4. Seal jar and  enjoy.

 

Note:  If you are keeping these for up to one month then keep refrigerated.
Before using remove jar from the fridge and bring to room temperature, so the oil re-liquefies.