Recipe: Spiked Olives

Spiked Olives
Source: Party Appetizers: Small Bites, Big Flavors by Tori Ritchie

Jazzing up olives makes you feel a bit like a mad scientist In the kitchen. All sorts of herbs and spices work but this is my favorite combo, with its bright balance of heat, garlic, and citrus. Mix and match green and black olives - kalamata, picholine, luques, goeta, oil-cured, et cetera - or use premixed olives if your store has an olive bar,

1 1/2 cups mixed good-quality olives, drained if necessary
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 lemon
Freshly ground pepper

Mix the olives, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a container with a lid. Remove the zest from the lemon with a zesting tool so it is in very fine strips (if you don't have a zesting tool, grate the lemon zest). Mix in the zest and several grindings of pepper and let the olives stand, covered, at room temperature for at least 2 hours to settle flavors. Or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days: let them come to room temperature before serving.)

Makes about 1 1/2 cups (about 12 servings)