Mikie's Marinated Olives

I know what you're thinking: Marinated olives – what's the big deal? All I can tell you is they are the best marinated olives ever, and there's nothing to the preparation. Feel free to tweak and riff on the recipe – it's very improvisation-friendly. I like to use olives that still have their pits for this, a mix of whatever looks best. Some nice ones to look for: Castelvetrano, Cerignola, Picholine, Niçoise, Arbequiño, Lucques, Kalamata. This is best served the day it's made, as it loses some of its charm in the fridge. If you make it ahead and store the olives overnight in the fridge, bring them to room temperature before serving. 

READ: “Thanksgiving finger foods: 10 recipes for light and lovely pre-feast nibbles”

Serves 6 - 10.

Ingredients

1 pound mixed olives

7 to 10 (or more) branches of fresh thyme

3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed