Leccino Black Olives

One of my of all-time favorites.

Leccino olives are rarely available for eating because most all of them are used up by oil makers who crave their complex, sweet, olivey flavor. Thanks to the efforts of Marina Colonna in the Molise region of Italy, we've got the chance to taste them: ripe, sweet, succulent purple-black beauties from the sun-kissed fields of southern Italy.

Marina marinates them in extra-virgin olive oil, adds a bit of garlic and wild fennel, and a pinch of chile before packing them into beautiful glass bottles.

A great gift for anyone who loves black olives.