Rustic Kalamata Olives & Red Onion Salsa

rustic kalamata salsa on toast points

Olives in the raw are bitter, mostly inedible and not much to look at.  But cured olives are savory, rich tasting and full of color.  I remember growing up in Peru, my grandfather Pepe a man of the land and an amazing cook, would bring home sacks of dry black olives that he would cure and integrate into different dishes. A black olive and onion salsa was one of his recipes and a home staple that we served with bread, over rice and even pasta. The transformation of the olives from sack to table and accompanied by raw onions into a loud burst of flavor is a distinct culinary memory from my childhood.  The spanish name for this dish is salsa de aceitunas negras y cebolla.  Pepe came from Mediterranean ancestry that was then mixed with the Peruvian culture as a result of colonialism in Latin America.  He was a Criollo in every sense of the word.  Strong temperament, gentle soul and with a rocking hand in the kitchen.  This salsa is a fusion of Mediterranean and Peruvian, just like my Pepe.

I added capers to my version of this dish and I think Pepe would have approved. Keep in mind that this salsa is not for the weak at palate.  The taste is savory, confrontational and somewhat spicy.  Delicious with a Tempranillo wine.  The flavors of the salsa and the wine will fight it out but the complexity of the former will conquer.  Complex flavors will bombard you at every bite.  Keep in mind that the longer you marinade the onions the milder they become but then the taste of the olives is more pronounced.  All good things.

I could smell the onions, olives and capers on my hands until the next day.  Love it.

Serve this salsa on toast points and drizzle with olive oil, or add it on top of brown rice or quinoa to liven things up.

Ready to salsa!