castelvetrano olive

A date night menu that's perfect for two. Marinated Olives and Feta kick things off, followed by a crispy, juicy Date Night Pork Chop, and a Chocolate Dutch Baby to round out the festivities. 

How to Cook a Valentine's Day Dinner That Shows You Care, but Not Like in a Really Over-the-Top Way

pork

Kosher salt

black pepper

eggs

all-purpose flour

sugar

cocoa powder

milk

drained Castelvetrano, Cerignola, green olives

garlic

lemon

olive oil, divided

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

feta

Crusty bread (for serving)

bittersweet, semisweet, chocolate

heavy cream

Parmesan

Tbsp. raw unblanched hazelnuts

shallot

Belgian endive

Pink Lady apple

unsalted butter

Coffee ice cream (for serving)

A date night menu that's perfect for two. Marinated Olives and Feta to kick things off, followed by a crispy, juicy Date Night Pork Chop, and a Chocolate Dutch Baby to round out the festivities.

Bon Appétit

First things first: Get some prep work out of the way before your date arrives. Season 1 lb. pork loin chop (1–1½" thick) and let it sit out at room temperature (it cooks much more evenly that way). Pat chop dry with paper towels and place on a plate. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper, turning with tongs; set aside and let sit on the counter while you work on all the other dishes.

Next you’re going to pivot to dessert prep. It’ll only take you a few minutes, but you want to let the Dutch baby batter rest while you make the rest of the dinner. Arrange a rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°. Place a dry medium skillet on rack to preheat.

Whisk 3 eggs, ⅓ cup flour, ¼ cup sugar, 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder, and ¾ tsp. salt in a medium bowl until smooth.

Whisking constantly, slowly stream ½ cup milk into egg mixture. Cover with plastic and let batter rest.

Now, for the appetizer. Drain 4 oz. olives and place on a cutting board. Lightly smash with the heel of your hand just to break apart skin and flatten slightly. Smash 3 garlic cloves and peel. Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel from 1 lemon in long wide strips. Save remaining lemon for later (you’re going to use it with the pork).

Cook lemon peel, olives, garlic, ½ cup oil, and ½ tsp. red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally, until garlic is sizzling and golden around the edges, 5–7 minutes.

Meanwhile, crumble 3 oz. feta into a shallow serving bowl.

Pour oil mixture over feta. Let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

When your date shows up and you're ready to serve the appetizer, tear bread into large pieces and place in oven directly on rack next to skillet. Bake until craggy edges are golden, 5–8 minutes. Place bowl of marinated feta and olives on a large plate, and set bread alongside for dipping.

Oh, you fancy, huh? Give yourself a pat on the back, pour a couple glasses of something bubbly, and be your charming self. Whose great idea was it to stay in on Valentine's Day? That's right: yours.
→  Looking for sparkling wine that won't break the bank? We got you.

After you've done a little snacking and schmoozing, do a little more casual dessert prep. Chop 1 oz. chocolate on cutting board. Wash out small saucepan you just used and transfer chocolate to saucepan. Add ¼ cup cream and cook over low heat, whisking often, until chocolate is melted and mixture is completely smooth; season with a pinch of salt. Keep warm over low heat.

You’re doing great! Now, on to the main event. Prep your ingredients for the pork dish: Shave 1 oz. Parmesan with a vegetable peeler, then use your fingers to break into small shards. Cover with a damp paper towel (to prevent it from drying out). Using the bottom of another medium skillet, preferably cast iron, smash 3 Tbsp. hazelnuts, a few at a time, on cutting board, breaking into bits. Peel 1 shallot, then finely chop. Separate leaves from 1 large or 2 small endive, trimming from the bottom as you work your way to the core. Place in a medium bowl, cover with damp paper towel, and chill until ready to use.

Preheat skillet you used to smash hazelnuts over medium heat. Drizzle ½ tsp. honey over one side of pork chop, then drizzle with 1 Tbsp. oil. Rub with clean hands all over surface of chop, then turn and rub second side with same honey-oil mixture to evenly coat; this will help pork caramelize as you cook it. Speaking of which, if you don't have a decent hood above your stove, this might be a good time to open a window and turn on a box fan, because things are about to get a liiiiiittle...smoky.

Lay pork in skillet and cook, leaving it be, until first side is dark brown and caramelized all over, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook second side until browned, about 3 minutes longer. Turn pork chop upright and hold on its side with tongs to sear fat cap; cook about 2 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and cook chop on both sides 1 more minute. Transfer to cutting board and insert an instant-read thermometer into middle of chop, about ½" from bone. It should register about 130°. If it’s under, cook 1–2 more minutes, then let rest on cutting board 5–10 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.

Add hazelnuts and 2 Tbsp. oil to skillet. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring with tongs, until hazelnuts turn golden, about 3 minutes.

Add shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until shallots are softened and browned and hazelnuts smell toasty, about 2 minutes.

Stir in remaining 2 tsp. honey. Cut zested lemon in half and squeeze juice from one half into skillet. Stir to combine, then remove from heat.

Cut around core of 1 apple, removing flesh in 3 lobes. Thinly slice 2 of the 3 pieces, then snack on the remaining piece if you like.

Remove bowl of endive from refrigerator and add apple and cheese; season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, squeeze second lemon half over, and toss to coat.

Cut bone away from chop and cut meat into ½"-thick slices. Place pork and bone on one side of a large plate and pour juices over; season with salt.

Light a couple of candles and pour some glasses of that red wine: It's almost dinner time.

Gently arrange salad next to chop. Spoon shallot-hazelnut mixture over salad and pork and serve. Give yourself a round of applause, because this dinner looks goooooood.

When you’re ready to move on to dessert, remove skillet from oven (watch that hot handle!) and add 1 Tbsp. butter; swirl skillet to melt, making sure to coat entire bottom and sides of skillet.

Give batter a quick whisk to reincorporate, then pour into skillet. Quickly transfer to oven, taking care because the handle is hot.

Bake until pancake is dramatically puffed and edges are curling inward toward center but center is still moist, 10–12 minutes. Remove skillet from oven (watch for that handle again) and let rest about 2 minutes. The pancake will immediately begin to fall, but that’s normal. Meanwhile, pull ice cream out of freezer to let it soften slightly.

Top with 2 scoops ice cream and drizzle with warm chocolate sauce; serve warm.

And you have our permission to save the dishes for tomorrow...

Give ground chicken the respect it deserves.

Crispy Chicken With Za’atar-Olive Rice

chicken

½ tsp. smoked paprika

Diamond

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Castelvetrano olives, smashed, pits removed

rice

za’atar,

greens

feta,

dill (for serving)

Not only is ground chicken or turkey a fast-cooking weeknight superstar, but the fat leftover from crisping it up can get work done. Case in point, this low-lift one-pan dish. The leftover fat is used to blister olives that then get mixed with cooked rice (or any other cooked grain you’ve got) and chopped greens like spinach, kale, or chard. Za’atar provides another layer of flavor. Be sure to check the ingredient list on your blend and season accordingly—if it includes salt, you might not need to add any extra.

Place chicken in a medium bowl. Sprinkle paprika and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt over chicken; season with pepper. Gently mix with your hands to combine.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Arrange chicken in pan in a thin, even layer and cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp underneath, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring and breaking up into bite-size pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate, leaving oil and fat behind.

Add olives to same pan and cook, undisturbed, until heated through and blistered, 1–2 minutes. Add rice and 1 Tbsp. za’atar and cook, stirring often, until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes. Add greens and lemon juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until greens are wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat; stir in lemon zest, feta, and chicken. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Transfer chicken and rice to a large shallow bowl; sprinkle with more za’atar and top with dill.

A few skewers and a hot grill turn this short list of ingredients (Italian sausage! fresh fennel! olives!) into a quick, punchy meal.

Grilled Italian Sausage With Fennel Salad

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil,

fennel

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

Peppadew peppers

lemon juice

8"–12"

A few skewers and a hot grill turn this short list of ingredients into a quick, punchy meal. Italian sausage links or a long coil work equally well; I like to thread four links together onto a few skewers so I only have to flip one self-contained batch. As for the built-in side dish, cutting the fennel before threading the slabs onto skewers means you’ll get great grill marks on each piece, imparting a ton of smoky, toasty flavor. Collect and thinly slice any pieces of fennel that fall off while you’re prepping the slabs to add some raw notes to the vegetable component, made complete with buttery Castelvetranos and peppy pickled Peppadews. —Kendra Vaculin

Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off). Lightly oil grate. Trim fennel bulbs; reserve ¼ cup fronds. Slice bulbs through root ends into ⅓”-thick slabs and thread onto skewers. Drizzle with oil and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Set aside.

Thinly slice any stray pieces from fennel bulbs; place in a medium bowl. Add olives, peppers, lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. oil; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

If using links, thread sausage horizontally onto 3 parallel skewers, spacing about 2” apart.

Grill sausage over direct heat until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Move over indirect heat and continue to grill, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 10–15 minutes more. Transfer to a platter.

Meanwhile, grill reserved fennel skewers over direct heat, turning halfway through, until fennel is charred and tender but still holds its shape, 8–10 minutes. Remove from skewers and add to bowl with olives and peppers. Add reserved fennel fronds; toss to combine.

Briny, puckery, and buttery, piccata is too delicious to reserve for chicken. 

Mushroom Piccata

extra-virgin olive oil, divided

mushrooms

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

dry white wine

Tbsp. capers

Tbsp. unsalted butter,

Parsley leaves with tender stems (for serving)

Briny, puckery, buttery piccata—but with lightly dredged and browned mushrooms instead of chicken or veal. Using two types of fat—oil and butter—is essential here. Sear the mushrooms in oil over high heat so they get nicely crisped and their flavor intensifies, then finish the sauce with a couple of tablespoons of butter. The last hit of silky sweet fat complements the mushrooms’ earthy flavor, while the lemon juice, olives, capers, and parsley perk it all up.

Using a sharp knife, slice lemon into very thin rounds, (aim to get about 6–8 thin slices); remove seeds from rounds. Set remaining piece of lemon aside.

Heat 3 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Toss mushrooms with flour in a small bowl, then cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and crisp all over, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to a large plate.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to same skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook shallot, stirring often, until softened, 2–3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened and beginning to turn golden around edges, about 4 minutes. Add wine, olives, capers, and lemon slices. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until wine is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add butter and swirl skillet continuously until butter is melted and emulsified into sauce. Squeeze in 1 Tbsp. lemon juice from reserved lemon. Taste sauce and season generously with salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Return mushrooms to skillet and cook, tossing and adding a splash of water to loosen sauce as needed, just until well coated.

Top mushroom piccata with parsley just before serving.

Crispy salmon skin, crunchy fennel salad, and creamy tahini yogurt make this a texture-seeker’s dream dinner.

Crispy Salmon With Fennel-Date Salad

walnuts (optional)

4–6-oz. salmon

garlic cloves, finely grated

Tbsp. tahini

lemon zest

Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, divided

Greek yogurt

olive oil

pepper

fennel bulb, fronds reserved, bulb thinly sliced

dill

dates, pitted, coarsely chopped

Castelvetrano olives, smashed, pitted

Starting the salmon skin side down in a cold cast-iron skillet may seem counterintuitive, but it’s the ideal technique for achieving restaurant-level crispy, crunchy skin. The fillets will release from the skillet once the skin is deeply browned, we promise. While the fish cooks, toss together a quick, punchy fennel salad featuring crunchy walnuts, briny olives, and sweet dates to serve alongside. The smooth, lemony, tahini-yogurt sauce balances out all the textures and flavors, and gets stirred up in no time.

Toast ¼ cup raw walnuts (if using) in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 5 minutes. Coarsely chop; set aside.

Pat four 4–6-oz. skin-on salmon fillets dry with paper towels and season all over with kosher salt. Arrange fillets skin side down in a cold large cast-iron skillet. Place pan over medium heat and cook salmon, undisturbed, until skin is crisp and deeply browned and flesh is opaque halfway up sides, about 5 minutes. Turn fillets over and cook just until opaque throughout, about 4 minutes. Stand fillets on their sides and cook until lightly browned, about 30 seconds per side.

Meanwhile, whisk 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, 3 Tbsp. tahini, and 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice in a medium bowl. Add ¾ cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt and whisk to combine; season with salt.

Whisk 2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest, ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and remaining 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice in another medium bowl; season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced, ½ cup coarsely chopped dill, ⅓ cup dates, pitted, coarsely chopped, ¼ cup Castelvetrano olives, smashed, pitted, and reserved walnuts and toss to coat.

Spread yogurt sauce on plates and place salmon on top. Arrange salad around; top with fennel fronds.

Look for Castelvetrano olives for this salad recipe; their buttery flesh and mild flavor will convert the most olive-averse.

Grain Salad With Olives and Whole-Lemon Vinaigrette

unhulled farro

green olives

lemon, halved, seeds removed, finely chopped (peel and

shallots,

mint and/or cilantro

parsley

Epicurious

Cook farro in a large wide pot over medium heat, stirring often, until golden brown and toasted (it should start to smell like popcorn), about 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and pour in cold water to cover grains by 1"; throw in a generous amount of salt (a healthy handful should do it). Set pot over medium-high heat and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, skimming surface occasionally of any foam that may rise to the top, until grains are tender but still have some bite, 25–35 minutes. Drain and transfer farro to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, using the side of a chef’s knife, coarsely crush olives to break them up into large craggy pieces; discard pits. Place in a large bowl and add chopped lemon and shallots. Toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Let mixture sit 5 minutes to allow shallots to slightly pickle and flavors to meld.

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add olive mixture and cook, swirling occasionally, until ingredients are warmed through and shallots are slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Scrape vinaigrette into bowl with farro and toss to combine. Taste grain salad and season with salt, pepper, and a little lemon juice if you want.

Just before you’re ready to eat, fold herbs into salad.

Grains can be cooked 1 day ahead; let cool, then cover and chill. Salad (without herbs) can be made 6 hours ahead; cover and chill.

Here’s your answer to the question: “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my 10:30 a.m. desk lunch on Wednesday?” This is precisely the work lunch you always wish you had packed, with lots of lentils to keep you full 'til at least 3 p.m., kale (for health!), salty olives, crunchy nuts, and just the right amount of cheese. 

Lentil Salad

Tuscan kale (about 10 oz.)

almonds

scallions

black beluga or French green lentils

Tbsp. cumin seeds

Castelvetrano olives

Here’s the answer to your question, “What can I make on Sunday night that will taste great for my 10:30 a.m. desk lunch on Wednesday?” This is precisely the work lunch you always wish you had packed, with lots of lentils to keep you full ’til at least 3 p.m., kale (for health!), salty olives, crunchy nuts, and just the right amount of cheese. And it’s all dressed in a lemony, garlicky spiced oil that we’d encourage you to drizzle over ricotta or hummus. Be sure to use black or French green lentils. Brown or red lentils will get too soft—you’ll end up with a stew rather than a salad.

Strip leaves off stems from 1 large bunch Tuscan kale; discard stems or save for later! Stack leaves, then roll into fat cigars. Slice crosswise into ¼" strips to long, thin ribbons. Unfurl ribbons and run your knife through them just once or twice more to shorten any very long strips. Transfer to a large bowl, season with salt, and massage until kale is silkier, softer, and darker in color, 1–2 minutes.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. While you're waiting, prep the spiced oil. Coarsely chop ½ cup raw almonds; set aside. Trim 3 scallions and separate white and green parts (save the green parts for later in the recipe); thinly slice white parts and transfer to a small skillet. Smash and peel 4 garlic cloves. Add those to same skillet, too. Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife, remove three 3" strips of lemon peel (avoiding white pith); reserve rest of the lemon for your salad dressing. Add peels to skillet. Pour ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil into skillet and stir so that all of the elements are coated in oil.

Add 1½ cups black beluga or French green lentils to now-boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender but still al dente, 20–25 minutes (they'll turn mushy if overcooked). We love to cook lentils like pasta—that is, in an abundant amount of salted water—so that we can monitor their doneness as they cook and make sure they don't get too soft.

While lentils cook, heat skillet with scallion mixture over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to brown and lemon peel starts to curl, about 3 minutes. Add almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until almonds are browned, about 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds and ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes—the residual heat from the oil will bloom those spices and bring out their flavors.

Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl, shaking to help oil drain; reserve oil (that's the base of your salad dressing). Spread almond mixture (don't forget those cumin seeds!) on a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet. Season with salt and let cool (the nuts will get crunchier as they sit).

Crumble 5 oz. feta into bowl with kale. Smash 1 cup Castelvetrano olives with the back of your knife; remove pits. Tear olives into large pieces and add to bowl. Thinly slice reserved scallion greens and add most to bowl (save some for serving). Add juice of reserved lemon and ½ tsp. salt.

Drain lentils well, shaking to get rid of excess moisture, and add to bowl with kale; season with salt. Add infused oil and half of nuts and toss to combine.

Divide salad among bowls. Garnish with remaining nuts and scallion greens. (If you’re taking this to work, just throw all of the scallions and nuts in at once—or bring them to work in separate containers and be that person garnishing your desk salad. You're worth it.) Eat around the lemon peels and garlic slices, which are edible but intense.

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Top 7 castelvetrano olive recipes from across the web

The most viewed castelvetrano olive recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

How to Cook a Valentine's Day Dinne...

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Grilled Italian Sausage With Fennel...

Mushroom Piccata

Crispy Salmon With Fennel-Date Sala...

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The most viewed castelvetrano olive recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine