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What are the best olives for Greek salad?

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kcixcy

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I'm making Greek salad this weekend, what are the best types of olives? And is it more traditional to get pitted or non pitted olives? There are so many options

greek-olives-250x188.jpg
 
Unpitted kalamata olives are the classic!! But any olive you like is best :)
 
kcixcy said:
I'm making Greek salad this weekend, what are the best types of olives? And is it more traditional to get pitted or non pitted olives? There are so many options

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I like the dark . I always buy them sliced bottled. There is no guarantee the pit is out or a shard. I almost broke a tooth from a olive bottled supposedly pitted. Either but them with the pit and expect it or pit them yourself. Be safe with those choppers. Green can be bitter.
 
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mitch said:
I like the dark . I always buy them sliced bottled. There is no guarantee the pit is out or a shard. I almost broke a tooth from a olive bottled supposedly pitted. Either but them with the pit and expect it or pit them yourself. Be safe with those choppers. Green can be bitter.
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That happened to me too LOL! Yeah you gotta be careful especially when mixing them into salads
 
kcixcy said:
I'm making Greek salad this weekend, what are the best types of olives? And is it more traditional to get pitted or non pitted olives? There are so many options

View attachment 299
Click to expand...
I usually buy a variety. However, I couldn't find Jumbo Black olives this year. Only found kalamata from Greece. I bought a variety of Mediterranean olives to supplement it with some black, green olives in the jar, but they are from Italy, not Greece.
 
My favorite are Kalamata, but I LOVE a good, sturdy green Greek olive once in a while. It all depends on what I can find and what my mood is. Sometimes I like to include a medley of both in my salad.
 
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For about a pound of ground beef, we add one small grated onion, a handful of chopped fresh parsley, a little fresh mint, one egg, breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small splash of red wine vinegar. Sometimes we add a little grated garlic as well.

The important part is mixing everything well and then letting the mixture sit in the refrigerator for a little while before shaping the keftedes. We make them fairly small, roll them lightly in flour, and fry them in olive oil until browned on the outside and cooked through.

We usually serve them with lemon, potatoes, salad, or tzatziki.

How does your family make keftedes? I’m especially curious about which herbs and seasonings everyone uses. Thought I'd share!

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A lot probably depends on what kind of avgolemono you’re making, too. In chicken soup, I like it a little more brothy because I want the rice or orzo and chicken to still stand out. With something like lahanodolmades, I don’t mind the avgolemono sauce being thicker because it is coating the food rather than serving as the soup itself.

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I've always preferred my pastitsio with a nice, thick layer of béchamel on top. To me, that's one of the best parts of the dish! I love when the krema is rich, creamy, and thick enough to hold its shape when you cut into the pastitsio.

The problem is that I've been having trouble getting my krema just right. Sometimes it comes out too thin, and other times the texture isn't quite as smooth as I'd like. I've tried adjusting the amount of flour and milk, but I still haven't found the perfect balance.

I'm curious how everyone else makes theirs. Do you prefer a thick layer of béchamel or just enough to cover the pasta? Does your family add eggs or cheese to the mixture?

I'd especially love to hear any tips for making a thick, smooth krema that sets beautifully when baked!

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In my experience, even a small amount can change the flavor quite a bit. It gives the keftedes a warmer, slightly sweeter spice in the background, but I can also see how it might not be for everyone. I’ve had versions that lean more heavily on oregano, mint, parsley, garlic, and onion instead.

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