Olive oil × Cheese
Gouda, Olives and Dried Tomatoes Marinated in Olive Oil
Cubes of Gouda, green and black olives and dried tomatoes, packed into a jar with garlic and rosemary and covered with olive oil. After a night in the fridge the cheese turns tender, the tomatoes soften and the oil picks up their flavour. For wine, or spooned onto bread.
- Serves
- Makes one 300 ml jar
- Time
- About 10 minutes (plus marinating)
Ingredients
- Gouda cheese100 g
- Green olives, pitted10
- Black olives, pitted10
- Dried tomatoes (dry-packed, not in oil)5 pieces
- Garlic1 clove
- Rosemary1 sprig
- Dried red chilli (optional)1
- Salta pinch
- Black peppera pinch
- Extra virgin olive oil (Picolimón)150 ml or more, enough to cover
Method
- Cut the Gouda into 1.5 cm cubes. Snip the dried tomatoes into bite-sized pieces with kitchen scissors. Thinly slice the garlic.
- Pack the cheese, olives, dried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and chilli evenly into a clean jar. Sprinkle lightly with salt and black pepper.
- Pour in olive oil until everything is well covered.
- Close the lid and leave in the fridge for half a day to overnight so the flavours come together.
- Take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving to come back to room temperature.
Tips
- Olive oil turns cloudy and firm when chilled. At room temperature it becomes clear and fluid again, and the aroma comes back.
- Use dry-packed dried tomatoes rather than ones already in oil. They soak up the olive oil, soften nicely and give their flavour to the oil.
- Because raw garlic sits in the oil, always keep the jar in the fridge and finish it within 4–5 days.
- Use the leftover oil for dipping bread, or in pasta and salads.
The longer it sits, the more the oil, cheese, olives and tomatoes come together — an easy partner for a glass of wine, and a nice gift to bring or to set out for guests. Chie used Picolimón, a Spanish extra virgin olive oil from El Labrador with a fresh, green-fruit aroma and a gentle pepperiness and bitterness. It goes especially well with tomato and cheese.
Chie Ando develops recipes for Medifar, the Japanese importer of El Labrador olive oil. This recipe also appears on Medifar's Instagram.
