Ascolana Olives

While extra virgin olive oil has become the darling fat of chefs and serious home cooks alike in recent decades, olives still have their skeptics. My theory is that many folks have just never had truly great olives. 

Marina Colonna’s estate in the Molise region of Italy has been in the family for centuries. They grow all manner everything from organic vegetables to wheat to towering sunflowers. And then there are the olives. The trees—some twisted and ancient, others strong and spry—grow olives that are mostly pressed into oil, but some varieties are meant for munching, like these.

Ascolanas are green and larger than your normal table olive, but not Andre the Giant huge. They eat like a meal; tender yet closer to the crunchier side of the spectrum than most olives you’ll find, with just a little bitterness in the finish. A great addition to any cheese board or as an afternoon snack.