Get the latest Branches recipes from Group Recipes. http://www.grouprecipes.com/tag/branches Nice lamb skewers with figs on rosemary skewers. Nice presentation,nice taste. http://www.grouprecipes.com/62842/grilled-lamb-on-rosemary-skewers.html The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. Judges 9:8 What would the Mediterranean landscape be like today without the olive? The venerable trees with their gray-green leaves were likely just as plentiful in the biblical era, judging by the number of times (fifty-five) the word '"olive" appears in the Bible. Even in biblical times, the Jordan River Valley and the towns of Lachish and Beth-shemesh were famous for their olives. Many of the cylindrical stone presses used to extract the fruit's flavorful oil are still on display in Israel today. The ancient Hebrews must have eaten cured olives, even though this is not expressly stated in the Bible. We know that the Romans, who conquered Palestine in 63 B.C., employed lye (an alkaline solution obtained by the leeching of wood ashes) to remove the bitter flavor from raw olives. In this recipe, we cure them with brine. http://www.grouprecipes.com/48241/brine-cured-seasoned-olves.html Source:Foods from the Holy Land By Kitty Morse The ancient Hebrews, Egyptians, and Romans, were all particularly fond of leeks, a mild-flavored relative of the onion. Apicius, an author and eccentric bon vivant who lived around the time of Christ, lists a number of recipes for leeks in his cookbook, Apicius de re Coquinaria. The slender, scallionlike vegetables, available at farmers' markets in early spring, are probably closest to those of biblical times. Unleavened Griddle Bread goes well with this dish http://www.grouprecipes.com/48112/biblical-recipes-leeks-with-olive-oil-vinegar-mustard-seed.html