Nestled among farm stands and local artisans, Olives 4 You stands out. Jean Pierre, its founder, hails from Southern France. His family-owned shop is in Wheaton. His olives and spreads come from all over the globe. Twelve types of hummus cluster around one end of the table, with bags of white and whole-wheat pitas nestled among them. Cornichons and capers travel here from France. But the main attraction is doubtless the olives. No fewer than twenty-five types of olives grace the table – including representatives from Peru, Tunisia, Greece, France, and Italy.
Their colors vary as much as their origins. Olives, it seems, are not just black but purple, grey and all shades of green. Harissa, a delicious, spicy Tunisian marinade, adds a splash of orange. Even the kalamatas take on a deep eggplant-purple hue so different from the banal grey often seen on supermarket shelves. Surprising flavors pop out too: among them anise, lemon juice, cayenne, jalapeno, and vinegar. Indeed, this plain white tent houses a world of flavors – and brings the world to this small-town market. By Meredith Carroll