Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her for
Christmas. Do you have any suggestions (I hate black olives, so I'm
relying mostly on you)?

Notes (optional reading!):
- I'm guessing it will be 5-8 jars (more if I find them locally = no
shipping cost)

- I would like them all to be imported (with maybe one exception if
there's something really good from California or something). How big of
a deal is freshness?

- Please be as specific as possible/necessary (a link to a specific jar
being sold online would be much appreciated...they're all new to me)

- Big concern: blacks olives are obviously a lousy gift, so I have to
strive for "gourmet"/status-y/obviously-premium sorts.

- Where I'm at so far: Need some (a) from France (maybe authentic
Nicoise?), Italy, Greece, and possibly Morocco, and (b) treated with
salt or oil (not lye).



Thanks very much,


Jay

Jay wrote:

Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her for
Christmas.

I think that this is a very special and thoughtful gift! Whilst out
grocery shopping today, I was tempted by some imported
crispy bread slices made with parmesan & olives. How about
a leetle jar of tapenade, and one of caponata, both made with
olives? Fancy crackers/bread things? Some kinda special
pickle? Okra or cornichons or corns? A book on olives?
Edrena

"Jay" wrote in message
. ..
Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her
for
Christmas. Do you have any suggestions (I hate black olives, so I'm
relying mostly on you)?

Notes (optional reading!):
- I'm guessing it will be 5-8 jars (more if I find them locally = no
shipping cost)

- I would like them all to be imported (with maybe one exception if
there's something really good from California or something). How big
of
a deal is freshness?


One company in California produces a unique olive that is one of the
best in the world, the company is Graber and their website is
http://www.graberolives.com/
Take a look and you will see why...

Otherwise, go for fancy-packaged olives which almost any food-gift
store or Whole Foods / Trader Joe should have in ample supply. Do
not worry about freshness as they are brined; as long as they are
unopened they should be fine. Do not buy bulk olives if you can
avoid them, they do indeed spoil after having been out for a while.
This sounds like a great gift, btw.

Neat book you might consider:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/086...83155&v=glance

pavane

Jay wrote:
Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her for
Christmas. Do you have any suggestions (I hate black olives, so I'm
relying mostly on you)?

Can I be your Granny?
-L.

If there's a Cost Plus near you they have different olives. My
girlfriend did something similar for my birthday and got me a jar of
kalmata olives and some little olive serving dishes. They are white
ceramic, about 8 inches long and like a skinny trough. Each dish holds
a single row of about 8 olives.

marcella

Jay wrote:
Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her for
Christmas. Do you have any suggestions (I hate black olives, so I'm
relying mostly on you)?

Notes (optional reading!):
- I'm guessing it will be 5-8 jars (more if I find them locally = no
shipping cost)


- Where I'm at so far: Need some (a) from France (maybe authentic
Nicoise?), Italy, Greece, and possibly Morocco, and (b) treated with
salt or oil (not lye).



Thanks very much,


Jay
Jay:

You don't say where you live so it's hard to recommend where to find
them. If you have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods nearby, look there
for canned or bottled varieties. TJ's has some decent bottled olive
tapanade (dip/spread).

A good place to find them is probably a Greek or Italian delicatessen
but the best are brine or oil cured, probably sold in bulk, out of the
cooler and they don't keep as long as the bottled or canned ones.

Google for olives to get lots more information.

gloria p

Jay wrote:
Hello,
My grandmother loves black olives (and green ones too, but for some
reason I feel safer getting her black ones) so I've decided to put
together a "black olives from around the world" gift basket for her for
Christmas. Do you have any suggestions (I hate black olives, so I'm
relying mostly on you)?

Notes (optional reading!):
- I'm guessing it will be 5-8 jars (more if I find them locally = no
shipping cost)

- I would like them all to be imported (with maybe one exception if
there's something really good from California or something). How big of
a deal is freshness?

- Please be as specific as possible/necessary (a link to a specific jar
being sold online would be much appreciated...they're all new to me)

- Big concern: blacks olives are obviously a lousy gift, so I have to
strive for "gourmet"/status-y/obviously-premium sorts.

- Where I'm at so far: Need some (a) from France (maybe authentic
Nicoise?), Italy, Greece, and possibly Morocco, and (b) treated with
salt or oil (not lye).



Thanks very much,


Jay

Thanks again for all the responses. The Graber olives are perfect, and
it may be a good idea to go with something other than just olives.


Jay