Brine-Cured Green Olives with Quince Dressing

Here’s an unusual and delicious olive marinade from the Alicante region in Spain. Green olives are flavored with the quince paste called membrillo, along with a local, pungent, dried herb called pebrella and some cut-up lemon pulp. The result: a perfect balance between sweet and herbal.

Wild pebrella (Thymus pebrella) is the herb of choice. As it is now a protected species in southern Spain, I use the “politically correct” grown-under-glass pebrella imported by