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Greek Potatoes Stewed with Kalamata Olives
When you slowly simmer good olives into a stew, they infuse the stew with a saltiness that is more complex than simple salt.  

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 pounds medium-sized potatoes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups Kalamata olives
  • 2-3 cups canned plum tomatoes, with their juices
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Peel and finely chop the garlic. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, and cut each half into four slices, each about 1/2-inch thick. Drain the olives and pit them.
  • In a stewing pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and stir to coat. Toss in the garlic and stir. Add the olives, and stir and sauté for 2-3 minutes. The olives will break apart a little and the dish will change color and darken.
  • To break up the canned tomatoes, grate them with a large-tooth cheese grated. Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir.
  • Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, until they are very tender and the sauce is thick. In my experience, it may take a little longer than this for the potatoes to become completely soft. Add a little water during cooking if it seems as though the potatoes are in danger of burning.
  • Just before removing the pot from the heat, add the oregano and season to taste with salt and pepper. This stew would be good with some feta as a garnish. Here you can see the potato and Kalamata stew served at my vegetarian cooking group alongside a slice of spanakopita, or “Spartacus” as my friends were calling it, as well as an arugula, orange, and wrinkled olive salad.