The Olive Connection & Taberna de Haro Tapas

Demonstration and recipes by Chef-Owner-Sommelier Deborah Hansen

Andalúz potato salad
1 1/2 lb. golden potatoes, peeled
1 small can of Spanish tuna in olive oil
1/4 of a Spanish onion in thin slices
3/4 cup Spanish Andalusian extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt, preferably Spanish
1 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped
Cut potatoes into 2” chunks, then boil until tender in salted water. Drain, place in a wide shallow bowl. Drizzle with half of the oil. Let cool. Top with tuna, onions, salt, remaining oil, and finally the parsley.

Oil-cured sheep cheese
one 8 oz. wedge of cured Spanish sheep’s milk cheese (Manchego or other), cut into 3 pieces
1 clean jar, large enough to hold the 3 pieces of cheese, with a lid
4 sprigs fresh oregano
6 black pepper corns
1 – 2 cups Spanish extra virgin olive oil
8 piquillo peppers, cut open

Place the cheese, oregano, and peppercorns into the jar and pour in the oil until the cheese is completely covered. Close tightly and refrigerate for 4 days and up to 20. The cheese gets stronger and tangier with time. Slice into long thin triangles and serve over the piquillo peppers – or with anything!

Marinated olives
1 lb. of Spanish olives, which could include manzanilla, cornicabra, gordal, arbequina, hojiblanca, etc.
drained 1/4 of a Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 lemon, diced
1 tsp. each Spanish sweet paprika and dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup Spanish extra virgin olive oil

Toss all the ingredients together and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Serve. A perfect accompaniment to manzanilla and fino.

Banderillas
8 pitted Gordal olives (These are large and stuff-able)
1 can Spanish mackerel in olive oil
8 piparras or guindillas (These are long, thin, spicy pickled Spanish green peppers)
8 cornichon
8 cocktail onions
8 small strips of roasted red pepper or piquillo pepper
1 – 2 Tbl. Spanish extra virgin olive oil
8 large and sturdy toothpicks

Gently stuff the olives with long chunks of the mackerel. Thread each toothpick with one stuffed olive, a piparra pepper, a cornichon, a cocktail onion, and a folded strip of red pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and serve with dry sherry.