Garlic-Thyme Olive Spoon Relish

Garlic-Thyme Olive Spoon Relish for beans, roasts, and toast 🫒🌿 This is the small jar that makes simple food feel finished: glossy mixed olives, sweet roasted garlic, fresh thyme, parsley, lemon, capers, and extra virgin olive oil. Spoon it over warm white beans for lunch, pile it onto toast, or use it as a bright condiment for roast vegetables, chicken, lamb, fish, halloumi, or baked potatoes. Yield: about 2 cups, enough for 6-8 servings Time: 10 minutes prep, 30 minutes roasting, 10 minutes mixing Ingredients 🛒 - 1 whole garlic bulb - 1 tsp olive oil, for roasting the garlic - 220 g mixed pitted green and black olives, roughly chopped - 1 tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped - 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves - 1 tsp lemon zest - 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice - 1 tbsp red wine vinegar - 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil - 1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup - 1/4 tsp chilli flakes, optional - black pepper, to taste - pinch of salt, only if needed To serve 🍞 - warm white beans or chickpeas - toasted sourdough or ciabatta - roast vegetables, grilled chicken, lamb, fish, or soft cheese - extra lemon wedges Method 👩‍🍳 1. Roast the garlic. Heat the oven to 200 C / 400 F. Slice the top from the garlic bulb, drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil, wrap loosely in foil, and roast for 28-32 minutes. The cloves should be soft, sweet, and golden at the edges. Let cool until easy to handle. 2. Chop the olive base. Roughly chop the olives and capers. Keep the texture uneven: some fine pieces, some chunkier bites. This keeps the relish spoonable without turning it into a paste. 3. Make the garlic dressing. Squeeze 5-6 roasted garlic cloves into a bowl. Mash with lemon zest, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, honey, chilli flakes if using, and plenty of black pepper. 4. Fold the relish. Stir in the chopped olives, capers, parsley, thyme, and extra virgin olive oil. Taste before adding salt because olives and capers can already be salty. 5. Rest the flavour. Let the relish stand for 10 minutes. The olive oil will turn glossy, the thyme will soften, and the lemon-garlic flavour will settle into the olives. 6. Serve. Spoon over warm beans and toast for a quick lunch, or use it as a punchy condiment with roast vegetables, grilled meats, fish, halloumi, baked potatoes, or soft cheese. Add a squeeze of lemon if it needs more lift. Texture cues ✨ - The relish should be glossy and spoonable, not smooth. - Roasted garlic should mash easily with a spoon. - Olive pieces should stay irregular for a good bite. - If it tastes too salty, add parsley, lemon juice, or a spoon of warm beans. - If it tastes flat, add a little more vinegar and lemon zest. Storage 🍽️ Spoon into a clean jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Cover the top with a thin layer of olive oil before chilling. Bring to room temperature before serving and refresh with lemon juice and parsley. Save this recipe for fast lunches, dinner boards, and the days when toast needs a proper upgrade. 🫒