I’m 1/4 Greek, you know. My great-grandfather immigrated to the United States in 1909 and my great-grandmother arrived in 1923, both passing through Ellis Island. I credit my Greek heritage with my love of bold flavors, especially in olives of all kinds. So I created this pie as a cold appetizer in which Greek Kalamata olives are the stars of the show. I added citrus to the crust and as a garnish for an unexpected pop of bright flavor. The citrus plays tricks on your mind: you’d swear when eating this that there’s sweetener in the crust, but nope! Just half an orange’s worth of zest folded into the crust and half a lemon’s worth as a garnish. Add mint and sesame and you’ve got an unusual yet tasty offering for a mezze spread. Enjoy!
Greek Olive Pie
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
This savory pie combines the meatiness of Kalamata olives, the brightness of citrus zest, and the cooling flavor of mint for a result that’s rich and exotic.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Zest of 1/2 orange
- 1 egg
Filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 onion
- 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp fresh mint leaves, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8″ tart pan and set aside.
- Combine the ingredients for the crust in a medium mixing bowl.
- Press into the tart pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes. The surface of the crust should be foamy and oily when you remove it from the oven but will dry as it cools.
- To make the filling, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet. Thinly slice the 1/2 onion and sautee until very soft.
- Let the onion cool, then add the olives and mix in the pan. Transfer the olive mixture to the cooled crust.
- Grate the zest of 1/2 lemon over the pie, then sprinkle with the sesame seeds and mint.
- Serve cold or at room temperature (this pie is best served the same day that it is made).
- Category: Main
The Comments
joyce jackson
happy birthday to you!!!!
yesterday was my birthday I hope yours is as fun as mine was.
Rachel
joyce jacksonThank you! I had a great time today, not least of which was the birthday cake I made: Paleo German Chocolate Cake, check back here soon for the recipe!
Nikki Parry-Wulff
happy birthday greetings from Amserdam (via DJFoodie) 🙂 in the pie ingredients it says almond flour twice….I’m thinking that maybe one should maybe be a fat?
Rachel
Nikki Parry-WulffThanks for the help! Yep, it’s supposed to be olive oil. 😛
Nikki Parry-Wulff
Rachelyum, that makes more sense LOL thanks for the lovely sounding recipe and I have a new foodie to follow!
Rachel
Nikki Parry-WulffHooray!
Theresa Fletcher
This looks great! I looooove Kalamata olives! Happy Birthday 🙂
Rachel
Theresa FletcherThanks! I love Kalamata olives too and there aren’t enough dishes that let them shine, in my opinion.
paulamcfree
Thank you.