Dress Up Your Dish with California Black Ripe Olives

I like olives but don't always know how to use them in recipes.  I recently discovered some recipes on the California Black Ripe Olives site and can't wait to give some a try.  From breakfast to dinner, January to December, olives are as casual or as elegant as you like, adding color, texture and flavor to any meal.

Here's one recipe I'm going to make for a meal at camp this weekend:

Roasted Corn and Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Olive oil

2 cups yellow corn kernels

2 teaspoons Garlic, Minced

1 cup Cooked black beans (or canned)

1 cup California Black Ripe Olives, whole, pitted

1/2 cup Sliced prepared nopalitos*

1/2 cup Radishes, Halved and sliced

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup Toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons Lime juice

Directions

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Turn heat down to medium-high, add corn kernels and carefully sauté for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned. Season to taste with salt, stir in garlic and remove from heat. Transfer corn mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in beans, California Ripe Olives, nopalitos, radishes and cilantro. Toss with pine nuts and lime juice just before serving. Serves 4.

If you have your own original recipe for using California Black Ripe Olives, you can enter the "Dress Up Your Dish" recipe contest and possibly win a cash prize or gift card.

About the “Dress Up Your Dish” recipe contest

· Those peep-toe pumps. A cool clutch. A classic string of pearls. So often, one essential piece makes the outfit. And when it comes to cooking, California Black Ripe Olives are every season’s—and every dish’s—hottest accessory. 

· Share how you accessorize your dish with California Black Ripe Olives by uploading your original recipe to the California Black Ripe Olives Facebook page at facebook.com/CaliforniaBlackRipeOlives for a chance to win a $2,500 cash prize or one of three $100 Gilt.com gift cards.

· Entries will be accepted through June 30, 2011. Three finalists will be selected based on creativity (25%), ease-of-preparation (25%), taste (25%), and if the recipe uses at least six ounces of California Black Olives (25%).

· Finalists will be announced July 15, but then it’s up to olive-loving fans to decide who takes the top prize by voting on their favorite recipe.

In exchange for this post, I will receive a prize pack from California Olive Committe.  The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way.  Please do your own research before purchasing products.  Your opinions and results may differ.