The Recipes
Warm herbed olives
For parties or snack plates, warm herbed olives are satisfyingly simple and delicious.
Ingredients
1 ½ cups whole green olives (preferably Manzanilla or Castelvetrano)
Peel and juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of sliced garlic
3 tbsp high quality extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
A few sprigs of thyme, rosemary or parsley
Instructions
Drain the olives and rinse.
In a small saucepan over low heat, combine all the ingredients and heat to a low simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
Serve immediately while still warm or store in the refrigerator for up to a week. Always allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
Tomatoes with ventresca
A non-recipe recipe, this seasonal salad is perfect as a light lunch when served with bread and olives. Slice 2 large tomatoes—preferably Valenciano or heirloom at the peak of the season in your area. Distribute 1 jar of ventresca tuna (it’s the belly) in olive oil and ½ thinly sliced red onion over the top. Add a squeeze of lemon to brighten. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and pepper to taste.
Vermut Manhattan
Vermut, Spanish for vermouth, is a traditional afternoon aperitif here in Spain—enjoyed straight over ice with an orange twist and a salty olive hiding at the bottom of the glass. But it also makes a damn good Manhattan. We recommend trying it both ways.
Ingredients
2 ½ oz. Vermut (Tximista Rojo or Cocchi Vermouth di Torino)
¾ oz. Rye Whiskey
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Orange twist to garnish
Instructions
Add ice to a mixing glass and stir to chill. Remove ice. Combine whiskey, vermouth and bitters in the mixing glass, then add the ice back in and stir for 30-35 seconds until it reaches 28 degrees (because of course you always keep a kitchen thermometer next to the bar). Pour into a lowball over a large cube of ice. Add an orange twist to garnish.
Photos by Ernst Berlin of Birdsong Cocktails + Concepts