How to prepare home-made Olive Dip

NB. This is officially my first recipe on the blog... so please bear with me!

Local olives are rarely, if ever, found pitted

6 years ago, when we were still at the initial stages of starting this eco venture, I didn't have the slightest of clues that I'll be concocting dips or preparing recipe blogs! Ok, we were already delving into local products and stuff by then, but me, writing a recipe?! Well it turned out that most of our eco tours ended up having something to do with local food, in some form or another, so it was only a matter of time that we started to explore our own twists to traditional recipes.

For this season's Olive Grove Experience we introduced home-made dips. We figured that if we're promoting local products we should serve in-house nibbles with fresh ingredients - wherever possible - no shortcuts. Quite simple... yet it took time for us to get there. The supermarket, grab-and-go option was just too tempting! Even though we did our best to see that the processed ingredients were local, we knew that we could do better - yet the additional chore of preparing even the dips for each event seemed to be a daunting task. Until, one fine day Jeanette casually mentioned cream cheese!

Wild Thyme from
Tas-Salut Orchard

She has lately spent a lot of her free time looking into baking and other flabby-belly-inducing habits, mostly thanks to Il Piu Grande Pasticciere, a food reality TV series, and her knowledge of ingredients increased exponentially. When she did mention this wonder ingredient - cream cheese - it was quite a revelation to me.

Guilty as charged, I don't 'make' home-made cream cheese in our tiny apartment... this is one of the short list of ingredients that we buy from a supermarket! But if you want to keep the recipe 100% local you can even try and substitute cream cheese with ricotta and even fresh sheep's milk cheeselets - I tried this and it's divine! But cream cheese it is for now...

So this Olive Dip made it to this year's Olive Grove Experiences - and we'll have to be really running out of time to go back to the pre-packed version. The dip was a winner during every experience. We just couldn't believe how much the guests enjoyed it, and raved about it, given that it was not such a big deal to prepare.

Maybe it's just because of that - the simplicity and freshness of the ingredients, or it could be due to the extra bitterness of the olive drupe. Whatever the reason, during all of the sessions, without exception, some guest asked for the recipe... so here it is.

Enjoy!

Christian

OLIVE DIP 

______________________________________________________

PREP TIME  15 mins

Ingredients

80g olives (around 20 pitted olives)

1 medium tomato

200g regular cream cheese

1.5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Fresh herbs

Salt & pepper 

  

 

Instructions

Bring the cream cheese close to room temperature, this avoids leaving larger chunks of cheese in the dip.

Remove the pits from the olives by pinching both ends of the drupe, or squash it with the flat part of a heavy chef knife, and place the flesh in a separate bowl. 

Dice the tomato in smaller parts, so as it will be easier to blend. Don't waste anything from the tomato (apart from the top part of the stem). This adds liquid to the mixture and also gives it a nice orange-to-pinkish colour. 

Toss everything into a mixing bowl and blend with an electric blender until it's the right consistency.

Add the extra virgin olive oil, together with the other seasoning and blend further.

For best results, refrigerate, and let the mixture settle for at least 12 hours before serving.

Filo Parcels with fresh ġbejniet and local honey

Ingredients for 4 parcels:

2 fresh cheeselets (ġbejniet), sliced lengthways

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-4 teaspoons local honey (according to taste)

12 sheets approximately 21x15 cm (A5 size) filo pastry

Sea salt

Choice of other fillings: fresh basil leaves, chopped strawberries, chili sauce / flakes or crushed walnuts

Recipe:

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius with fan.

Pour the olive oil into a bowl. On a flat surface or chopping board, place one filo sheet and brush it lightly with olive oil. You don’t need to cover the whole surface or saturate it with oil.

Next lay another sheet on top with the corners a little off-set in comparison with your previous sheet. Brush this with oil too. Repeat with a third sheet.

Lay half a cheeselet, ½ or 1 teaspoon honey and any other filling of your choice in the centre of the top sheet. Add a pinch of sea salt.

Gently lift one edge of the three sheets and pinch about one inch from the edge, forming a purse-like shape all around. Push the pastry together towards the centre to close the parcel; the oil will help the pastry to stick to itself.

When all the parcels are ready, place on a baking sheet in the middle of your oven and cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the edges are turning brown.  As a main dish, serve two parcels with a light salad e.g. rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers.

Tips:

Always use a good quality olive oil as the taste of this will really come up, you’re not only using it to stick the pastry sheets together!  It’s easiest to lift two ends of the sheets at once and work with both hands to fold the pastry towards the centre to press together.

Merill products used: fresh cheeselets, olive oil, honey, sea salt, strawberries

written by Miriam Calleja

Olive & Caper Dip

Olives and olive oil can be considered to be jewels of the Maltese islands. The olive fruit and oil made from the fruit are central to the Mediterranean diet, and many studies cite their benefits and anti-oxidant powers.

Growing in a temperate climate where the weather is not too harsh, the rain is not too hot or too cold, the soil is not too acidic or alkaline, and where the tree is never far away from the sea, the olives obtain a tangy saltiness that is rich and unique.

As far back as the Roman era, areas in many villages across the islands were set aside for agricultural activities, particularly the pressing and processing of olives. The wooden structures of the olive-presses were mounted on large rectangular blocks of stone. Many of these can still be seen in some villages. In fact, this practice was held in such high regard that two towns (one in Malta and one in Gozo) are called Żebbug (Maltese for ‘olives’) and another in Malta is called Żejtun (also the Sicilian-Arabic for ‘olives’).

The olive fruit is not ready for consumption straight off the tree; a process of immersion in water and brine is conducted to render it more palatable and remove some of its bitterness.

Olive Dip Recipe:

200g green olives, bone removed

2 tablespoons capers

1 clove of garlic

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 heaped tablespoons cream cheese

1/2 cup canellini beans

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Use a blender to make a fine paste. Test taste to see if you want to adjust any of the flavours. For example, if the olive taste is too strong, you may add more beans or cream cheese to your liking. Since the olives and capers are already rather salty, you will not need to add more salt. Using fresh parsley will help to counteract the aftertaste of garlic.

Serve the dip with crackers, bread or vegetable crudités. Keep some parsley and capers to garnish when serving. Keep refrigerated before serving. This dip may be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Merill products used: olives, capers, olive oil

written by Miriam Calleja

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Extra virgin Olive Oil from the heart of Maltese rural areas

Hello Merill fans,

Olive oil has always been one of the most preferred products by our esteemed clients. We select olive oil from the best farmers of the Maltese Islands who grow olive trees with passion respecting nature. The taste is impeccable and is an excellent condiment on fresh and cooked dishes. 

Feel free to contact us on info@merillecotours.com for more information. 

Tasting sessions can be organised upon request.

Sahha

Jeanette

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Autumn News - Maltese Olives, grapes and cheese

Autumn is the time when we expect some showers here in Malta. It's a time associated with grapes, olives and pomegranates. We're so excited to have our Speciality store to open it's doors very soon. We'll be spoiling our clients with delicious tasting sessions including olive oil, Maltese Cheeses known as "gbejniet" and other Maltese Delicacies.

For more information, "Like" our Merill Local Products fan page on Facebook, email us on info@merillecotours.com or call us on 00356 2141 1388 for more information.

Mini Hamper including Olive Oil, Sun dried tomatoes and Sea salt

Fresh Pomegranates - Photo. Jeanette Borg

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Merill Speciality Store - Local delicacies and much more - COMING SOON

Hey Merill fans,

It's finally cooling off here in the Maltese Islands. We still have lots of sunny days to enjoy before it gets cold (in Malta, cooler weather ranges from an average of 20 degrees Celsius during the day and 12 degrees Celsius at night). 

At Merill Eco Tours we're looking forward to Autumn. It is a great time for us, organising agri-tourism experiences and lots of delicacy tasting sessions. Olive oil, local cheese (known as gbejna) and wine tasting remain as favourites. 

We're also preparing for the festive season...Yep...Christmas is round the corner. This is the fourth year we're holding an Eco Hamper Campaign and it's getting bigger and better. A speciality store will soon open its doors to food and healthy lifestyle lovers who wish to taste and lay their hands on the most genuine and tasty local products. It will be located in the village of Hal-Qormi, the bread making village of Malta. Hal-Qormi is only 10 minutes away from the Historical City of Valletta and 20 minutes away from Mdina, the fortified city. 

Lots of Maltese products will be found under one roof. Hand made gifts, culinary delicacies and organically produced food will be available. Tasting and information sessions will be held regularly and also upon request. Village walking tours in Hal-Qormi for groups and individual travellers will be available. 

For more information contact us on info@merill.com.mt or find us on our "Merill Local Products" Facebook fan page.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Experience 

NOW AVAILABLE FOR INDIVIDUALS

every Sunday morning!

Stuck for gift ideas this Christmas?

l-Għalqa Eco Hamper

For many, Christmas is a period of dread - hectic shopping, cooking and get-togethers and to top it all choosing the right gifts for family and friends can easily become a nightmare. We live in times when it's becoming increasingly difficult to buy gifts that are appreciated by others. 

This year you can hit two birds with  one stone; buy a gift, and contribute towards the Maltese environment. The packaging used in our Eco-Hampers is entirely reused or fair trade, while all the products are strictly local. We work closely with farmers who produce genuine delicacies and are also committed towards the greening of our countryside. Honey and olive oil are by far the most popular products chosen by the Maltese people. Price also matters; this is why we have developed a whole range of packages between 6 and 40 Euros! We can even tailor make your ideal hamper according to your needs.

To view the whole range of eco-hampers click here! 

Feel free to send us an email on info@merillecotours.com or give us a call on 79411388. We'd love to hear from you!

Visit our stand at The Point Shopping Complex in Tigne on Sunday 20th November between 11am and 8pm.