like donna and christine, i'm definitely an olive-head: i love any and
all, whole and by themselves. but i'd like to second christine's
suggestion to start out w/ tiny *bits* of the stronger olives,
preferably scattered over a pizza, pasta, salad, etc. that way you
learn how they interact w/ other ingredients to intensify the combined
flavors (sort of a natural MSG effect).
by the way, i discovered a few years ago that teeny tiny bits of fresh
lemon--diced up verrry fine, peel and all--has an effect very similar to
olives when scattered over a pizza or in a pasta containing tomatoes:
they add a top note of flavor that quickens everything else, but w/out
the briney sharpness of olives. keep the pieces tiny, though, and use
them sparingly; you just want brightness, not an overpowering lemony
flavor. i add them along w/ everything else before baking (i think the
baking mellows them and keeps them from being too "pointy"), but you
could add them afterwards as a garnish.
while i'm on the subject, i might as well mention gremolata: mince one
garlic clove and a handful of parsley together very fine and fluff
together with the grated zest of a lemon (i sometimes use small bits of
whole lemon--a quarter to a half, depending on size--instead of zest and
just pulse everything in the food processor a few times). this is
wonderful as a garnish for pizza, a plate of sliced tomatoes, grilled
marinated eggplant, peppers, onions, portobello mushrooms, tofu, etc.,
or tossed together as a salad with white button mushrooms sliced
paperthin and salt and pepper (let it sit for a half hour or so in the
fridge to marry the flavors and allow the mushrooms to give up a bit of
their juice). also try gremolata in potato salad or sprinkled over
roasted baby red bliss potatoes.
jane