Olives

The allure of olives goes far beyond a love of salty foods. The variety in their flavors and textures is nearly as wide as their geographic reach and cultural significance. Olives evoke a perfect Mediterranean day, perhaps in a vineyard in the Tuscan or Provençal countryside, or at a terraced cliffside café on a Greek island overlooking the silky blue Aegean. Our table there is set simply with bowls of olives, pistachios, bread, and olive oil—and, of course, some local white wine.