That's 'olive' in Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and French, by the way -- just to get you prepared for dishes that will make you feel like a real native of the Mediterranean.

Let your taste-buds transport you to the Italian lakes, the coast of southern France or the idyllic beaches of Greece with one of the Mediterranean's most famous exports -- the olive.

More and more Britons are taking their lead from their southern neighbours and switching traditional butter for altogether healthier olive oil -- and a recent research found that Mediterranean dishes are the most popular to cook, beating British and Asian food.

A wonderful source of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, olives and olive oil are great antioxidants too.

And since the survey found that most people spend more than an hour in the kitchen on average, many will be pleasantly surprised at just how simple such delicious dishes are to create.

"The Mediterranean diet is often cited as being healthy and low incidences of heart disease and long life expectancy appear to back up this claim -- which can be partly attributed to the consumption of olive oil," explains Jo McAuley, author of Olive & Oil.

"Despite having a high fat content, olive oil doesn't contain the saturated fats that are detrimental to cholesterol levels.

"It is also believed to be beneficial to the skin and hair, and the antioxidants it contains can help to fight common diseases such as cancer," she adds.

McAuley says that preserved olives can last anything up to one-and-a-half years, and once opened they can be stored safely in the fridge for around a fortnight.

"Olives are quite robust and can cope with high heats and extended cooking times, which makes them suitable for all kinds of recipes.

Charred artichoke, olive and Parma ham tartlets

Serves 4

4 small marinated artichoke hearts, halved (or canned artichoke hearts)

1tbsp olive oil

12 thin slices of Parma ham

4 large free-range eggs

125g/4oz ricotta cheese

50g/2oz pitted black olives, roughly chopped

2-3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1/2tbsp chopped chives

1tbsp chopped basil

1/2tbsp chopped tarragon

salt and pepper

To garnish

shredded basil leaves

toasted hazelnuts

Heat a griddle pan over a moderately high heat and brush the halved artichoke hearts all over with the olive oil. When the pan is hot, put the artichoke hearts, cut side down, in the pan and leave to char for about two minutes. Turn off the heat, use tongs to remove the artichokes and put them cut side up on a place.

Cut four of the Parma ham slices into thin shreds and cut the remaining slices in half. Use the halved slices to line eight moulds of a muffin tin.

Lightly beat the eggs in a large bowl, then beat in the ricotta until smooth. Stir in the olives, spring onions, chives, basil, tarragon and shredded ham and season well with pepper and a pinch of salt.

Carefully divide the egg mixture among the eight muffin moulds -- they should all be about two thirds full. Place an artichoke half, cut-side up, in the centre of each tartlet, so that the charred side is showing.

Bake the tartlets in a pre-heated oven, 200C/400F/gas Mark 6, for 20-25 minutes until they are golden and firm to the touch. Remove the tartlets from the oven and leave to cool in a tin for a few minutes. Carefully remove and serve garnished with shredded basil leaves and sprinkled with a few chopped, toasted hazelnuts.