The Table is a celebration of the meals and food we share together. Meals around a table are often a space to share one’s heritage, love and heart – and in the case of The Table it is a fusion of author Elmarie Berry’s Lebanese and South African heritage. The flavour profiles are distinctively Middle Eastern – preserved lemons, sumac, tahini, pomegranates and zaatar – ingredients I love. The recipes are ones that are perfect for sharing family style around a table – from huge salads, roasted veggies, flatbreads, platters and of course desserts.
Dietary Notes
The Table is packed with plant based recipes with fresh produce being the hero of most dishes. There is a sprinkling of animal based protein dishes and dairy desserts, but there are enough meat free dishes to make it worthwhile for a vegan or vegetarian cook.
Best For
Those who love Middle Eastern flavours, plant based cooking and a cooking style that utilises spices and herbs for flavor and not oils and sugars.
Cooking Level
Beginner – recipes themselves are easy to understand, the biggest struggle you may have is sourcing some of the harder to find ingredients like preserved lemons and orange blossom water.
The recipe I’m sharing is the Lebanese marinated olives. Inspired by Elmarie’s granny’s recipe, they are infused with aromatic herbs, garlic and olive oil to create a vibrant and delicious starter, snack or addition to a salad. There is quite a bit of Balsamic vinegar in this recipe which for some may be too acidic, but for me was perfect.
Marinated Olives
Ingredients
- 2 cups olives
- 1 1/2 cup nuts finely chopped
- 7 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup fresh mint finely chopped
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place olives, nuts, garlic and mint in a large bowl and stir well. Add the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Mix until all the ingredients are combined
- Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve cold.
The Table by Elmarie Berry is published by Penguin Random House . It is available here
