View Full Version : Olive and Artichoke Dip
Dicentra
08-11-2009, 14:50
I got thinking about all the olive recipes I have... I might have to pull out the dehydrator for more this week. :)
Olive Artichoke Dip
Serves 1
This could also be used as a pasta sauce. Add a packet of salmon to make a tasty sandwich filling... Use this as a jumping off point and the possibilities are endless.
1/4 cup dehydrated artichoke hearts
2 T freeze dried olives (from Packit Gourmet)
1/2 t Italian seasoning
2 mayonaise packets
crackers or bread for serving (I like triscuits)
At home: combine all of the dry ingredients in a zip locking plastic bag.
In camp: add just enough water to cover. Allow to rehydrate for 5 minutes before stirring in both of the mayo packets. Serve on crackers.
Snowleopard
08-11-2009, 16:30
2 T freeze dried olives (from Packit Gourmet)
Freeze dried olives? What an odd concept. Do you rehydrate them in olive oil?:)
Seriously, how are they?
Do oil cured olives keep well on the trail? How do regular Greek olives (calamata)?
LaurieAnn
08-11-2009, 17:17
SnowLeopard there is no need to go to the expense of freeze-dried olives as the dehydrate well and rehydrate quickly. There is a very good Olive Tapenade recipe here... http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showpost.php?p=878310&postcount=9
and here is the photo... of the dip I make after about 10 minutes rehydration in cold water
http://www.gjstudios.com/food/dip-on-crackers.jpg
Pringles
08-11-2009, 17:48
Ooooo, I love artichokes.
Dicentra, LaurieAnn and Sarbar, if I ever get married, will you guys do the catering? Pleeeeeeeeease? :-)
Beth
Dicentra
08-11-2009, 18:05
Ooooo, I love artichokes.
Dicentra, LaurieAnn and Sarbar, if I ever get married, will you guys do the catering? Pleeeeeeeeease? :-)
Beth
I helped cater Sarbar's wedding. It was fun. Sure!
Dicentra
08-11-2009, 18:07
Freeze dried olives? What an odd concept. Do you rehydrate them in olive oil?:)
Seriously, how are they?
Do oil cured olives keep well on the trail? How do regular Greek olives (calamata)?
Rehydrate them in water.
I was skeptical too, but I had to try them. The owner at Packit was raving about them to me when they came out. Worth the $5/package I spent on them. :)
I'm not sure how well olives would keep... I did find garlic black olives in tiny tins recently though. A bit heavy, but nice for a treat, no?
Regular (not freeze dried) olives do contain a fair amount of oil, so they should be eaten farily quickly - not so great for long term storage.
I think what I love about the freeze dried olives is you can snack on them dry. Call it odd, but oh yeah, that is good nibbling! (I also find tubs of Just Veggies to be a good snack :D )
LaurieAnn
08-11-2009, 21:24
Ooooo, I love artichokes.
Dicentra, LaurieAnn and Sarbar, if I ever get married, will you guys do the catering? Pleeeeeeeeease? :-)
Beth
I love artichokes too.
lol Beth ;) I'll direct you to my sister and her husband as they are expert in the catering end of things (they used to own a restaurant and I've obviously learned a great deal from them). I'll take the photos for your wedding though... I sure miss wedding photography (Bryan and I did that for over a decade). Ah... just elope and have your honeymoon on a backpacking trip and I'll mail you all the food for it. That sounds so romantic to me... and I'd even send the fixings for a chocolate fondue. I honestly think that's what persuaded Bryan to marry me almost 17 years ago... a camping trip with chocolate fondue. He gave me the first diamond ring shortly after the trip and then proposed with another ring a few months later. Okay, I'm getting off topic and all sappy... what were we talking about... oh yes... artichokes...
I have a wicked artichoke sauce for pasta that I'll have to post once I am done testing it.
LaurieAnn
08-11-2009, 21:27
Regular (not freeze dried) olives do contain a fair amount of oil, so they should be eaten farily quickly - not so great for long term storage.
When dehydrated, they actually will last for many months without having to be put in the freezer because of the natural salt content. The additional saltiness from the capers in the tapenade recipe I linked to assists in preservation too.
Mountain Maiden
08-12-2009, 09:36
With all these delicious recipes and suggestions, I may have to plan another thru-hike!
Thanks y'all! Keep 'em coming!
S
I carry capers in a well sealed snack size bag. They are so salty I don't dry them in most cases. I just make sure there is liquid from the bottle in the bag.
LaurieAnn
08-12-2009, 11:19
I carry capers in a well sealed snack size bag. They are so salty I don't dry them in most cases. I just make sure there is liquid from the bottle in the bag.
Why? I don't understand the reasoning there. Drying the capers doesn't make them any saltier even when rehydrated and it just makes it easier to have it as one whole dish rather than carrying the capers separately.
Why? I don't understand the reasoning there. Drying the capers doesn't make them any saltier even when rehydrated and it just makes it easier to have it as one whole dish rather than carrying the capers separately.
More that in only rare cases do I need to dry them. They carry well, so for a weekend trip all I do is grab and carry. No reason to dry them for my style.
As for the salt, oh sure, it will help them store nicely. But, for me, drying very salty items only intensifies the "salt" flavor. When you live on a lower sodium diet for years, a super salty kick can be too much taste wise. I rinse my capers gently before adding, at both home and on trail.
The intensifying of flavors is similar to what happens when people dry Dinty stew out of a can and then wonder why the chemical-y taste is so strong after. Heavy sodium gets concentrated afterward.
Unless one is doing a long distance trip of months out, might as well just carry the capers "fresh". Though I'd be one to carry the bottle with me :D Scoop and add!
LaurieAnn
08-12-2009, 22:42
Though I'd be one to carry the bottle with me :D Scoop and add!
I see that you don't hike in regions where there is a can or bottle ban (can and bottle bans, while irritating at times, are something I find to be very important).
As I said before, drying doesn't intensify the salt unless you are eating the capers without rehydrating them properly or you aren't letting the brine drain adequately before drying them.
Dicentra
08-13-2009, 13:32
Why run a dehydrator if you don't have to?
*shrugs*
You can get capers in plastic containers.
And heavens no, no where out here outside of a few lakes where fishing in boats happens, have bottle/can bans.
Apparently people out here have a clue stuff like that comes home. And rarely do you see any left behind in the backcountry.
Dicentra
08-13-2009, 15:15
I thought bottle/can bans were only for water ways... not hiking trails. I've never seen one on any of the trails I've ever hiked.
Why run a dehydrator if you don't have to?
*shrugs*
Seems like a no-brainer to me,why the heck would a person want to dry a caper? :rolleyes:
Oh,I know... to play the Devil's advocate to try to steal another thread.:D
LaurieAnn
08-14-2009, 14:07
In the backcountry of many parks up here there are bans and it has nothing to do with waterways - it is to prevent crap from being left in the backcountry. Algonquin Park for example... Western Uplands Backpacking Trail, Highlands Backpacking Trail and the Eastern Pines Backpacking Trail all fall under the bans. Not to mention cans and bottles can be heavy.
Anyway olives, capers, etc. dry beautifully for those who don't want to deal with "fresh" which is important if one is mailing food to postal outlets to be picked up on the way.