Olive Salad (for Muffulettas)
Church of Nativity, Bethlehem, November 1973.
When we lived in Israel in the early 70s, I had an unfortunate accident. I was in my high chair and kicked against the table, knocking myself back into a pot of boiling water which was on the stove. Blisters formed up and down my arm. Mom and Dad whisked me off to the Army Hospital where a no-nonsense woman doctor tended to me and lanced my blisters. I guess it didn’t actually hurt that much, or it was fascinating to watch, because for whatever reason I didn’t cry. Anyway, the story goes that the doctor said to Mom in a heavy accent, “She will be good soldier” to which Mom replied, “Oh, no she won’t!”.
From the land of the olives to the land of olive salad (New Orleans), Mom has always had my back. My parents spent a lot of time in New Orleans, it’s one of their favorite places. They once rented a wonderful Creole cottage on Burgundy Street for a few months when Dad was researching his book, Dixie Bohemia. We took my young daughter to visit them and we stayed in the cottage’s converted attic. On the first morning my husband and I woke to find our kid gone. Cue the general panic of that sort of thing combined with the possibility that the house might be haunted (it’s New Orleans, right?!) and I was genuinely unnerved. A quick search found our daughter cozied up in bed with her Grandmomma. Our little girl wanted to be with my mom so badly that she climbed down the dark stairs all by herself and found her. They had a special relationship, those two. They were always sewing or making craft projects. My kid loved to make funny movies on her Grandmomma’s iPad. Mom would do just about anything for her granddaughter, including acting like a lunatic killer in a murder mystery!
That trip we had the joy of eating takeout muffulettas from Cochon Butcher while picnicking in Audubon Park, a classic New Orleans experience. I grew up eating my mother’s version of muffulettas. She would make her own olive salad and put out a selection of cold cuts and cheeses. It’s a great, relatively simple way to serve a delicious lunch. Finding a true Muffuletta roll may be a challenge, depending where you are. You can use ciabatta or focaccia instead, or any good bread with a relatively soft crust. If you’re feeling inspired, you can check out this muffuletta bread recipe.
To make a true muffuletta, follow these steps:
Split the muffuletta roll in half and spread each side generously with olive salad, making sure to include the juices when spreading. Layer half of soppressata on bottom half of bun, followed by half of mortadella, half of capicola, and half of provolone. Repeat layers with remaining meat and cheese. Close sandwiches and press down gently to compress. For best flavor, wrap tightly in paper or plastic and let rest for 1 hour before serving. Cut into triangular wedges to serve.
Or, you can just throw on some ham, salami & mozzarella for the same general effect.
OLIVE SALAD FOR MUFFULETTAS
½ c pimento stuffed olives
½ c cut up black olives
½ c. chopped celery
¼ cup chopped carrots
¼ c chopped cauliflower (optional)
1 Tbsp. chopped green pepper
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp minced onion
1 cup olive oil
1/3 c veg oil
½ tsp each, salt, oregano, coarse pepper.
**Good as a salad dressing also.
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