The tasty, healthy and nourishing olive.

In the world of mythology, the olive tree is supposed to have been first grown in the Garden of Eden. More realistically, according to historians, it has been cultivated along the Syrian coast since 4,000 BC and since that time it has been one of the most useful plants in the world--its products employed in a myriad of ways. In ancient times, a single olive tree provided a family with a year-round supply of food, oil for healing, fuel for cooking, and wood for housing, furniture and jewelry. Hence, for millennia, it was a symbol of wealth, stability, and the tranquillity of a self-sufficient farming society.

In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena created the olive tree to win a dispute with Poseidon, the god of the sea. The Bible makes at least 140 references to olives and their oil. In the story of Noah, the dove that heralds the new era after the deluge appears carrying an olive branch. In the Qur'an, the olive, called a Blessed Tree, has sacred associations. Even today its mystical lure continues. An olive branch, a token of peace since Biblical times, graces the flag of the United Nations.

In our time, the olive tree remains a very valued plant to the farmers of the Mediterranean countries, accounting for 98% of the olives grown in the world. World-wide, Spain is the largest producer of olives, generating 50% of the European production. Its 160 million trees produce around 800,000 tons of olive oil--a liquid gold that is the lifeblood of that country. Italy is the second largest producer, followed by Italy, Greece, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco and Turkey. Beyond the Mediterranean, olives are grown in parts of Australia, California and South America.

Olives are the fruit of an evergreen tree with small greenish-silvery leaves that bear clusters of fragrant white flowers. The plant, started from a cutting, grows in height from 10 to 40 feet and begins to bear fruit when four to eight years old. It takes about 15 years to fully mature, but will bear fruit for hundreds of years. Some trees in the eastern Mediterranean are believed to be over 2,000 years old.

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The olives are harvested by hand or by striking the tree with long sticks to bring the fruit down to the ground. They come in dozens of shapes and colors, varying in size from half an inch to two inches. About 40% are picked green before they mature; the remainder are harvested as they ripen in various shades ranging from purple-blue to black, at which time they reach their maximum oil content--220.45 lbs. olives will produce 55.12 lbs. oil.

The oil comes in at least five grades. The top is the extra-virgin, which is obtained from pressed green olives that are picked by hand. Virgin comes from the first pressing of black olives; refined from the second pressing; pure, a mixture of virgin and refined; and sulphide, extracted with solvents from the third pressing.

Olives and their oil are consumed as a food, especially by people living in countries that border the Mediterranean. However, despite the fact that olives are cultivated principally for the table, their oil has always been employed as a medicine.

In the times of the prophets, it was believed that olive oil would cure every malady except the "illness" of death. There is a legend that Adam, suffering with pain, complained to God who sent Gabriel down from heaven with an olive tree. He presented it to Adam, telling him to plant it, then to pick the fruit and extract the oil, using it whenever he had pain--assuring him that it would cure all ills.

Today's Middle Eastern farmers believe that if they drink half a cup of olive oil before breakfast, it will clear their system and they will live a long life free from disease. Their cure for an infected ear is a little heated olive oil dropped into the ear in a number of doses, and for sore muscles, the remedy is a massage of olive oil. In these countries, many people even maintain, as had their ancestors in ancient times, that olive oil is a powerful sexual stimulant.

And they have a point. Important in the human diet, olives are characterized by high nutritional and health values. Dried olives contain 51.90% fat, 30.07% water, 10.45% car mineral matter, and are exceptionally rich in potassium. Olive oil, rich in mono-unsaturated fat, has the ability to reduce the LDL (bad) cholesterol without reducing the HDL (good) cholesterol in the blood.

The energy-giving properties in olives are more than that contained in any other fruit or vegetable, and the calcium content is greater than in other fruit, vegetables, fish, shellfish or cockle-fish. Fresh cow milk contains the same quantity of calcium as olives, but olives have more vitamin A than that contained in milk. Hence, olives are an excellent food for pathological cases that require intensified quantities of calcium.

Scientifically, even though olive oil will not make a sick person well, it may help keep one from becoming sick. The oil is excellent for sufferers from debility or those who are underweight. Drunk pure, two ounces per day makes a superb laxative. Soothing for insect bites, itching and bruises, the oil also contains vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that plays a role in reducing the risk of cancer and heart diseases. This has led the World Health Organization to recommend olive oil for cardiovascular diseases and to promote bone growth.

The last pressing of the oil is often utilized in the manufacture of soap while virgin olive oil is employed as a hair dressing. There is no oil as good for the skin. Olive oil is easily absorbed into the subcutaneous layers, keeping the skin supple and the body flexible and pliant.

In ancient Greece pure olive oil was a highly prized luxury for anointing the body. Mediterranean beauties have, through the ages, employed undiluted olive oil as a massage ingredient to soften their delicate skin and to enhance their flowing black tresses, which have inspired many a romantic Arab and Latin poet. It is believed that Cleopatra always had an olive oil massage before her trysts with Caesar and Anthony.

At times, after the olives are crushed to produce the oil, the pulverized pits are then made into firebricks, which make excellent fuel material. Many family meals in the Mediterranean basin are cooked over the glowing embers of olive-pit bricks. Also, the trimmed dead branches of the trees are another source of cooking material, which the olive tree adds to the meager energy resources of the Mediterranean peasant farmers.

In the Middle East, the many fine pieces of furniture in the peasants' homes which have been passed down from family to family through the ages, and the beautiful artifices that for hundreds of years have helped keep the tourist industry alive, are made from the wood of the olive tree. Although not now as prevalent as in ancient times, necklaces made from the polished pits of the olives adorn the necks of many maidens, especially tourists from the West coming to enjoy the exotic Mediterranean lands.

Nevertheless, it is as a food that olives reach their epitome of usefulness. Their highly digestible oil can be drizzled on toast and ripe tomatoes or brushed on grilling chicken or fish. The oil is employed in all types of cooking and in countless salad dressings, adding an appetizing gusto to food. Olive oil keeps well but should be stored in opaque containers. When exposed to sunlight it becomes rancid and develops an offensive odor.

As to olives themselves, they are eaten as appetizers, form part of the ingredients in many dishes, and are often utilized for decoration. No breakfast in Middle Eastern countries is complete without at least one type of olive being served, and no morning, afternoon or evening snack is usually offered without a few types of this ancient vegetable-fruit.

In the Mediterranean countries, olives are usually pickled in brine or oil, but there are many varieties of olives and the type of pickling is purely a matter of taste. Green ones are picked unripe and usually pickled in brine; black ones are left to ripen on the tree and are often preserved in oil, but may also be pickled in brine. Both types can be stuffed with almonds, pimentos or anchovies; or embellished with hot pepper, lemon peel, sumac, thyme and other herbs or spices.

The pickled olives are usually sold in bulk in food markets throughout most of the world. Unlike the tasteless canned olives on many North American supermarket shelves, these prepared olives are very tasty, adding a zesty flavor to any dish in which they are used as an ingredient. As they have for millennia, olives remain today a healthy and nourishing food for millions.

Seasoned Olives

In the Middle East, this is a preferred
way of flavoring olives.

   1 lb. black olives, washed
   1/2 cup olive oil
   2 teaspoons sumac (found in Middle
Eastern stores)
   1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
   1 teaspoon dried thyme
   1/2 teaspoon marjoram
   1/2 tablespoons salt
   1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Combine all ingredients, place
in a covered jar and top with water.
Serve as needed, but stir olives before
each serving.

Garlic and Olive Oil Sauce
Makes about 3/4 cup

Both olives and garlic are enjoyed,
especially in sauces, throughout the
eastern Arab lands. This simple garlic
sauce called taratoor is a common
dish of the peasants in Syria and
Lebanon. It is used as a condiment
with all types of foods.

   2 heads of garlic, peeled
   Salt to taste
   1/3 cup olive
   1/3 cup lemon juice

Place all ingredients in a blender;
purge until creamy. Place in a jar or
bottle with a tight-fitting lid, then
refrigerate until ready to use.

Garlic Bread in Olive Oil
Serves 4

Very tasty, this dish is common in
many Mediterranean lands.

   Olive oil for frying
   4 slices of garlic bread
   4 medium tomatoes, sliced
   4 small cucumbers, sliced
   Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a frying pan; simmer
bread for a moment. Drain on paper
towels; place on 4 plates. Place tomatoes
and cucumber evenly over
top, sprinkle with salt and pepper
and serve.

Olive Dip
Serves 8 to 12

   2 cups green olives, pitted and
washed to remove the salt
   4 tablespoons tahini (crushed sesame
seeds)
   2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
leaves
   1 tablespoon lemon juice
   2 cloves garlic, crushed
   1/8 teaspoon cayenne
   1 small tomato, finely chopped
   1 tablespoon olive oil

Place all ingredients except tomatoes
and olive oil in a blender; blend
until smooth.

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Spread on a serving platter; refrigerate
for I hour. Garnish with tomato
pieces; sprinkle with oil and serve.

Olive and Carrot Salad
Serves about 6

   2 medium-sized carrots, peeled,
thinly sliced
   1/2 head lettuce, chopped into small
pieces
   1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
in half
   1 lemon and olive oil salad dressing
recipe (see below)

Place carrots, lettuce and olives in
a salad bowl; thoroughly mix. Pour in
salad dressing, toss and serve.

Lemon and Olive Oil
Salad Dressing
Serves 6 to 8

This is the traditional salad dressing
of the Middle East. At times, vinegar is
substituted for the lemon juice.

   4 tablespoons olive oil
   4 tablespoons lemon juice
   2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh
coriander leaves
   1 clove garlic, crushed
   Salt and pepper to taste

Thoroughly combine all ingredients,
stir and pour over salad. Toss
and immediately serve.

Olive and Orange Salad
Serves 4

The following Moroccan dish
makes an unusual and vividly colored
salad that also can be served as
an appetizer.

   1/2 cup black olives, pitted and
halved
   4 large oranges, peeled, sectioned,
and cut into small pieces
   1/2 teaspoon cumin
   Pinch cayenne

Combine olives and oranges in
a salad bowl. Cover and refrigerate
for at least one hour. Thoroughly mix
cumin and cayenne in a separate dish;
set aside. Just before serving, sprinkle
cumin-cayenne combination over
olive-orange mixture and toss.

Gazpacho
Serves about 6

According to E. Sroumillo in The
Tastes of Travel, this soup, typical of
Malaga, was possibly the original
Moorish version of gazpacho.

   1/4 loaf white bread, crust removed
   3/4 cup blanched pulverized almonds
   6 cloves garlic, crushed
   4 tablespoons olive oil
   2 tablespoons vinegar
   1 teaspoon salt
   4 cups water
   3/4 lb. seedless white grapes

Place bread in a bowl and cover
with water and allow to stand for
2 minutes. With hands, squeeze the
water out. Place the squeezed bread
and the remaining ingredients except
the grapes in a food processor; process
for a minute. Transfer to a serving
bowl, chill in a refrigerator for at
least 12 hours. Stir; garnish with the
grapes and serve.

Zucchini and Eggs
Serves about 8

In all the Arab countries, olive
oil has been, through the centuries,
the most commonly used medium
of cooking. Although the cheaper
vegetable oils have made inroads into
the lands of olives, olive oil is still the
most important ingredient used to
cook a daily meal.

   2 medium onions, chopped
   1/2 cup olive oil
   3 cloves garlic, crushed
   4 cups finely chopped zucchini
   3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
   Salt to taste
   1/2 teaspoon pepper
   1/2 teaspoon crushed dried basil
   3 eggs

Heat oil in a saucepan; saute onions
until they begin to brown. Add
garlic, zucchini, and saute for 10
minutes or until zucchini is cooked.
Stir in tomatoes, salt, pepper and basil,
simmer over medium heat for 15
minutes, stirring a few times. Break
in eggs; stir-fry for few more minutes.
Serve hot.

Chicken with Lemons and Olives
Serves about 6

In North Africa, the choice is not
limited to black and green olives; olives
vary in color and type of curing.
Particularly favored are ripe black
olives that have been cured in salt and
then dried, or pale grey-green ones
cured in oil and a little salt. The latter
are frequently combined with lemon
and employed in chicken dishes as in
the following recipe:

   5 tablespoons olive oil
   1 medium-sized chicken, cut into
serving pieces
   1 large onion, finely chopped
   1 tablespoon paprika
   1 teaspoon ground ginger
   1/4 teaspoon turmeric
   2 teaspoons salt
   1 teaspoon pepper
   1 lemon, cut lengthwise into quarters
and the seeds removed
   1 1/2 cups water
   1/2 cup small green or grey-green
olives

In a frying pan, heat oil over medium/
high heat, fry chicken, turning
frequently, until the pieces begin to
brown. Drain chicken pieces on paper
towels, set aside.

Pour out fat from frying pan, except
for 4 tablespoons. Add onions
and saute until light brown. Add paprika,
ginger, turmeric, salt, pepper,
lemon, water and chicken. Stir, bring
to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to
low, simmer covered for about 1/2
hour or until the chicken is tender,
adding a little more water if necessary.
Add olives, cover and simmer
for 3 minutes.

Arrange chicken pieces on a platter;
place the lemon quarters and
olives in a ring around them. Pour
sauce over chicken, serve hot.

Herb Stuffed Fish
Serves 6 to 8

This is a delightful Moroccan dish
whose taste and texture are smooth
and unforgettable.

   4 to 5 lbs. fresh whitefish, scaled
and cleaned
   1 cup finely chopped fresh coriander
   1 medium head of garlic, peeled and
crushed
   2 teaspoons salt
   1/2 cup lemon juice
   1/2 cup tomato juice
   1/8 teaspoon cayenne
   2 teaspoons paprika
   5 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
   4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
   4 medium carrots, thinly sliced
   1/2 cup olive oil
   1 cup water
   1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives

Place fish in an oiled roasting pan,
set aside.

In a small bowl, combine coriander,
garlic and salt, lemon juice,
tomato juice, cayenne and paprika,
set aside.

Stuff fish with half the mixture,
spread remaining half over fish. Arrange
tomatoes, potatoes and carrots
over fish. Pour oil and water evenly
over vegetables. Bake covered in a
350[degrees]F preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven, spread
olives over fish. Return to oven and
bake uncovered for an additional 10
minutes.

Serve fish hot with juices and
vegetables.

Note: In North America, the following are the main types of olives sold and their origin:

* Ascona-Cucco, Italy

* Azeradj, Algeria

* Carrasquenha, Portugal

* Kalamata, Greece

* Manzanilla and Sevillana, Spain

* Mission, California

* Verdial, Australia