Olives: 3 ways

Crush and remove the seeds from two cups of kalamata olives. Put them in a food processor with a tablespoon of rinsed salted capers and three anchovies then whizz, dribbling in two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir in the juice of half a lemon, to taste. Serve on bruschetta, or mix into hot pasta, and add fresh parsley, grated parmesan and a whirl of fruity olive oil.

2. Olive and mango salsa

To a chopped mango, add sliced black olives, chopped cherry tomatoes, chopped mint and coriander leaves, and snipped red chilli to taste. Mix with lime juice and let sit for a while before serving with barbecued chicken thighs.

3. Carrots and olives

Slice peeled carrots into rounds. Fry in a little olive oil until starting to colour, then put a lid on, turn the heat down and cook slowly until tender. Turn the heat back up, add a chopped garlic clove and a handful of sliced black olives and cook until the carrots are lightly caramelised and the garlic is fragrant.

Text: Robin Powell