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Black olives are the ripe,fruits of trees that are native to Mediterranean Europe and now found in the Southwest United States. Ripe black olives such as the, Greek Kalamata, or Italian Gaeta varieties are cured in, seasonings, brines, vinegars, and oils and have a pungent flavor. Moroccan olives are fruits that have first been sun dried, then packed in oil. Large pitted black olives are available canned. Cured black olives are sold by the pound and in bottles or cans.

The Olive (Olea europaea) is a species of a small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean Basin, from Lebanon, Syria and the maritime parts of Turkey and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. Its fruit, the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_olives

a common leavening agent used in baked goods. Used for fireproofing, in baking powder, and as an antirheumaticalso used as a fire retardant and in fertilizers.

Pressing tree-ripened olives extracts a flavorful, monounsaturated oil that is prized throughout the world both for cooking (particularly in Mediterranean countries) and for salads. Today's marketplace provides a wide selection of domestic olive oil (most of which comes from California) and imported oils from France, Greece, Italy and Spain. The flavor, color and fragrance of olive oils can vary dramatically depending on distinctions such as growing region and the crop's condition.

For most people garlic is eaten only in small quantities so is more important for its great taste than nutritional value. However, recent research has reported that garlic has the ability to reduce levels of cholesterol in the blood, a property attributed to the sulphur containing substance, allicin. Garlic is also supposed to be a natural antiseptic and to cure colds.

Related to the onion, garlic is a small bulb consisting of "cloves". The cloves should be peeled prior to using. The leaves are grass like and the flower rises from a single central stem. When harvesting or purchasing bulbs, they should be white to off white / light yellow and firm. Avoid bulbs which are mushy or soft.

Garlic may be used in many forms such as fresh, dried, processed into supplements and cooking.



Actions / Properties:

Internally - antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, antiseptic, antiviral, hypotensive-vasodilator, cholagogue, antispasmodic, decreases blood cholesterol, increases HDL, anti-atheromatic, PAF antagonist, increases fibrinolytic activity, hypoglycemic, expectorant, diaphoretic, antioxidant, antitumour, antineoplastic, antimutagenic, diuretic, carminative, emmenagogue.

Topcal Uses - antimicrobial, antifungal, expectorant

Capers of commerce are immature flower buds which have been pickled in vinegar or preserved in granular salt. Semi-mature fruits (caperberries) and young shoots with small leaves may also be pickled for use as a condiment. Capers have a sharp piquant flavor and add pungency, a peculiar aroma and saltiness to comestibles such as pasta sauces, pizza, fish, meats and salads. The flavor of caper may be described as being similar to that of mustard and black pepper. In fact, the caper strong flavor comes from mustard oil: methyl isothiocyanate (released from glucocapparin molecules) arising from crushed plant tissues. Caper are generally not eaten in large enough volume to yield any nutritional benefits. Capers packaged in salt may contain larger amounts of sodium, up to 255mg per tablespoon.



source: www.hort.purdue.edu/

Any of several species of plant grown for its acrid seeds and leaves, which are called MUSTARD GREENS. The MUSTARD plant belongs to the same family as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale and kohlrabi. There are two major types of mustard seed-white (or yellow) and brown (or Asian). A third species, the black mustard seed, has been replaced for most purposes by the brown species because the latter can be grown and harvested more economically.

Pungent or aromatic seasonings obtained from thebark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds or stems of various plants and trees (whereasHERBS usually come from theleafy part of a plant). Spices were prized long before recorded history. Thoughthey've always been used to flavor food and drink, throughout the eons spiceshave also been favored for a plethora of other uses including crowning emperors,making medicines and perfumes, religious ceremonies and as burial accoutrementsfor the wealthy. Over 3,000 years ago the Arabs monopolized the spice trade,bringing their rare cargo back from India and the Orient by arduous camelcaravans.