ORANGE AND BLACK OLIVE SALAD

By BobD

Ingredients

• 1 cup good oil-cured black olives, pitted
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
• 4 navel oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds
• Fennel seeds.

Preparation

Step 1

1. In a food processor, combine olives and thyme, if using, with a bit of olive oil. Pulse machine once or twice, then turn it on and add remaining olive oil rather quickly; you want this purée on the rough side. Thin with more olive oil if necessary. (You can refrigerate this for up to a month.)

2. Layer 3 or 4 orange slices on each plate, drizzle with a little more olive oil, top with a tablespoon of olive purée, and sprinkle with a few fennel seeds. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings.