Roasted Black Olives

Heat the oven to 350° F. Drain the olive brine. Rinse the California Black Ripe Olives and dump them, single-layer, into a baking dish. Add the olive oil and lemon peel. Mix gently so that the olives are coated in oil. Bake for 45 minutes. Sometimes the brine rises to the surface of the olive during baking. Don’t worry. Just roll the olives around the dish and the little salt spots will disappear. Present with thick lemon slices and scattered fresh parsley, if desired. Roasted black olives are excellent served with baked Brie and a baguette.