Dreaming up a menu for your next summer cookout? Look no further than one of our favorite pantry staples, olives. The buttery, mild flavor of both California green and black ripe olives are a fantastic contrast to all of the smoky flavors coming off the grill this summer. You can chop them up into a quick tapenade to serve with chips, make a quick relish to spoon on top of burgers, or toss them with fresh summer vegetables in a pasta salad. Here are fifteen recipes that put a can of olives to work, guaranteed to make your next cookout a memorable one!
- California Red Potato and Olive Salad Leave it to an actual California Ripe Olive grower to create a deliciously fresh spin on a cookout classic!
- Cowboy Caviar Again, California Ripe Olive growers know how to party—case in point, this Cowboy Caviar! This dip boasts a mix of tomatoes, green onions, black beans, and California Ripe Olives, and can be made in advance of your get-together.
- California Ripe Olive and Meyer Lemon Tapenade Ripe green olives team up with fresh Meyer lemons to make a dreamy grower-created dish.
- Bacon Olive Appetizer Cheese. Olives. Bacon. On a crunchy slice of toasted baguette. Do you really need any more convincing?!
- California Salmon Burger Tender grilled salmon burgers infused with olives are then topped with an easy arugula mixture.
- Roasted Corn and Bean Salad This would be the perfect side dish to serve with kebabs or steaks!
- Avocado ’n’ Olive Tostaditos Can’t go wrong with bite-sized nachos, right? Tortilla chips are topped with black olives, avocado, tomato, green onion, chilies, and (of course!) cheddar cheese.
- Orzo with Black Olives and Feta Put this one in your back-pocket for when extra guests show up and you need a super-fast and super-easy pasta salad to put on the picnic table.
- San Francisco Grilled Sourdough Salad Grilling the bread in this recipe would give the whole salad such an amazing smoky flavor.
- Dijon Olive Coleslaw Delicious pops of briny olives in every bite. This would be great with pulled pork.
- Grilled Flank Steak with Avocado and Olive Salsa The only thing that could possibly be better than grilled steak is grilled steak topped with a quick salsa of avocado and olives!
- Mediterranean Tomato Bruschetta This is such an easy and elegant appetizer. Make the tomato, olive, and feta topping ahead of time, then assemble the toasts just before guests arrive.
- Grilled Summer Corn Salad This salad has the best of summer all on one plate.
- California Style Grilled Pizzetta Simple and delicious. This would make a great appetizer for keeping guests happy while the burgers are cooking!
- Black Olive, Red Pepper, and Cucumber Salad This could be a refreshing side salad on its own or serve as a relish for grilled fish.
