Try it 10 times. Or more. Marinated olives with Orange and Mustard seeds

They say we adults basically are just big children. I’m about the proof that! And illustrate it with this recipe for Marinated olives with orange and mustard seeds.

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Most of the time I write my blog posts, I’m at my friend Alexandra‘s house. Accompanied by her six months old daughter we try to not be too distracted and get some work done. But every week she becomes more active, more vocal and more interested in her surroundings.
Which is a lot of fun to watch from up close.

She’s now at the point that other, more solid food might get her interest. As we speak, her mum dips her finger in her soup and let her taste it. The frown on the baby’s face is unforgettable. By the third time she grabs her mothers finger and show some sort of a smile.

Suddenly, some weird sounds burp up out of the baby.
And her mum takes her out of her chair to get her a diaper change.

It gives me some time to contemplate about why we like what we like to eat. There are many theories of course, but most of all, I think you like what you’ve learned to like. I read that what the mum eats during pregnancy and breast-feeding will influence what a child will like later. And a baby will learn to eat what you feed her when she or he gets to taste it directly.

One theory that struck me most is the one that you have to offer children something new at least 10 times.

10 Times.

At least.

And guess what?

I believe that’s true for us adults too.

We omnivores can learn to eat everything, only if we want to.

May I say I’m an expert by experience?

Looking back to the time I wanted to like olives, but just didn’t. I just couldn’t get myself to liking them. And everyone around me seemed to enjoy them, which made me even more determined. So I tried. Every time I found olives in front of me, I tried. Just one. But, hey, I tried. Every single time I encountered them.

I didn’t count the times, but one day I suddenly liked them. Like Loved them. Like crazy.

When? How?

Well, there was some alcohol involved. I’m not suggesting you should train your child to try food drunk, but it definitely worked with olives for me. On that hot Sunday afternoon when I was drinking in the sun with friends, and I was getting hungry. Before I knew it, I had finished the entire bowl of olives.

So yeah, being hungry helps. Some alcohol. But being trained too! I firmly believe that I would have never eaten all those olives then in the sun, if they’d be my first ever.

How about you? What food did you purposely learn to eat, just because you wanted to?
Tell me in the comments below, or reply on this email if you’re subscribed to my mailinglist.

An olive recipe follows.

Duh!

Recipe Marinated olives - Orange illustration both by EDIE EATS Food Blog -Edith Dourleijn

Marinated olives with Orange and Mustard seeds

You can buy premarinated olives. Of course. But it’s way more fun to make them yourself. Cause you get to decide what goes in them. So just see this recipe as a base. Go ahead, change-up the ingredients and add your favorite flavorings.
But this one is really a good starting point if you’d never done something like this before. All my students from my Tapas Class loved them. 

I use:
1 lb olives, green and/or black
1 orange
1 t mustard seeds
1 clove garlic
some salt

I do:
If you use olives with pit, cut them lengthwise a few times until you hit the pit so the olives can absorb the flavors.

Prep the flavors. Cut thin strips of the orange peel, remove the white part. Juice half an orange. Peel garlic and cut in thin slices.

Mix orange peel, juice, garlic, mustard seeds, salt and olives and add as much olive oil to completely cover the olives.

Let marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.

It’s really fun to change-up the ingredients and make your own version of marinated olives. This one is really a good starting point if you’d never done this.

Tip: You can use the leftover flavored olive oil in your dressings or just to cook with.

Enjoy!

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