Olive Salad (Green Olive Salad with Kalamatra Olives too!)

I am an absolute pushover for green olives. I love the salty taste, the texture... I love everything about them and the fact is, olives are one of the earliest food memories I have. I literally cannot remember a time when I didn't eat them. First, by plucking out the red pimento inside and sticking them on my fingers and eating them off one by one and later, one of my favorite sandwiches (that I still eat once in a while to this day) are cheese and olive sandwiches; 2 buttered slices of bread with a slice of American cheese, a ton of sliced green olives and squished together firmly between my palms to keep the olives from falling out. It's a comfort food from my high school and junior high days and one that makes my mouth water just thinking about the salty goodness!

That said, you'll understand my excitement a few years ago when I found a couple olive salad recipes. I added this one to my list to make on one of the 'holidays' and really, I should have made this one yesterday for Thanksgiving but I'm going to tuck it into my brain to make for our extended families Christmas Eve celebration as I come from a family of 'olive lovers' and I know it will be a hit!



Olive Salad



3 jars green olives, drained
1 pound Kalamata olives, pitted
1 can of ripe black olives
1 medium jar of roasted red peppers
5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 5-6 stalks celery, chopped with leaves too
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
3T dry Italian seasoning, crushed
3/4 cup olive oil
¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper




Mix all ingredients together and marinate at least 24 to 48 hours before serving.