Olive Oil Upcycle

I "discovered" olive oil sometime before my first visit to Greece (circa 1984) though olive oil had been nourishing the world well before then (insert smiley!).  Before then, I'd thought it too olivey.  Really.

At first I only liked "pure" olive oil, which is of course in the lexicon of olive words, the least pure.  "Pure" is the last-left-over-from-all-the-other-squeezings oil.  So, not at all pure.

Real PURE olive oil is of course extra virgin - the very first pressing.  And now I love it! I use for everything that requires oil - sauté, dressings,  whatever!  But Spanish, Greek, French, Italian and oils of all olive-growing regions have a taste of their own, a following, and naturally a price.  And olive oil can get pricey. Oo la la!

When we visited Freddy in Volterra, Italy, so many years ago, we brought back a bottle of oil from the neighboring farm. What a joy that was, having met the people who picked the olives and pressed the oil.  We still have the bottle here in this picture - I can't seem to part with it!  And don't you have to smile with Freddy and Werner? 

We don't have the luxury anymore of getting oil from a farm next door, but our olive guy at the market has a pretty good oil from Greece.  In a big container.  Five liters.  That lasts us about 5 months.  Or less.

Last night we emptied another can, and I thought, man, I can't just put that in the recycle bin.  I have to UP cycle it!

So I will.  What do you think?  A planter?  A vase? It's too short to hold the wooden spoons and stuff in the kitchen, and way too nice for the garden tools.  I'm open to suggestions.