This Hot Spice Olive dish perfumes the whole house with its rich scent, and it takes very little prep time.
4 cups Kalamata olives with pits, drained
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
Juice of 1/2 lemon (reserve strips of zest for garnish)
1/2 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs such as marjoram, rosemary, and parsley (or substitute 2 tablespoons dried herbs)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large baking dish (I use a 12-inch round clay baker), lay olives in a single layer. Mix in all ingredients, cover tightly with foil, and bake 1 hour (stir halfway through baking). Uncover last 10 minutes of baking.
Serve warm, mounded in a decorative bowl, and garnished with strips of lemon zest and chopped fresh herbs. Serve with toothpicks and a bowl for the pits.
Thin strips of lemon zest and chopped mixed fresh herbs