Tomato-Olive Compote

Todd and I ate this for dinner on Sunday night with spaghettini and seared scallops, and today I had it in a roll with melty fresh mozzarella and basil (a terrific combo of crunchy bread, chewy tomatoes and smooth cheese). It's from Bistro Cooking at Home.

First you make the garlic oil: put 10 peeled garlic cloves in your smallest saucepan and add olive oil to cover, then simmer for 10 minutes until the garlic is soft. Mine was browing by this time, so I pulled them out of the oil immediately. Allow the oil and garlic to cool, then add 1/3 cup of the oil and the garlic to 1/2 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, 1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives and a splash of balsamic vinegar. The leftover oil is good to cook other things in, like fried rice or sauteed vegetables. Anything, really. (Anything you want to add a garlic flavor to.)