Mixed Olive Tapenade

Last night we had our friends, Nancy & Steve, over for dinner. A casual little affair, perfect for a Sunday evening. The menu consisted of an appetizer of Mixed Olive Tapenade on Parmesan Pita crackers, a simple salad, lasagna and garlic bread served with tea and/or a sweet red table wine. 

 

My Honey wakes up in a new culinary world everyday and he was quite taken with the olive tapenade. I have made it before but apparently, not recently enough that he remembered. It's a simple, easy to make appetizer you will not find at every social gathering, so give it a try.....assuming you like olives!

 

I've included an 'official' recipe below for those that like pictures but the beauty of this olive tapenade is that it is as flexible as any recipe an come. I used three kinds of olives for mine this time - green Spanish olives, black olives and Calamata olives. The calamata are a bit more expensive and there is nothing wrong with using just the black olives...I did the first two times I made this dish and loved it! The black olives need to be the base ingredient. Green olives brighten the flavor but could quickly over power. For last night's batch I used:

2 cans pitted large black olives, 1 jar of 'salad' green olives (the cheaper, already half sliced, crunched kind) and 1/3 a jar of the Calamata olives. I also crushed 2 medium sized garlic cloves and threw them in the food processor, too. As the olives blend and get chopped, drizzle olive oil in to the desired consistency. You want it spreadable, not runny. Do not add salt because, well, you ARE using salty olives after all. You can store this stuff in the fridge but let it get to room temp before serving.....cold olive oil, yuk! This combo of ingredients made enough for the four of us last night with dinner and another batch I put in the fridge, so it would be plenty to serve at a larger gathering.

 

Here is a good tip, whatever you decide to serve it on needs to be rather plain, the olive tapenade stands alone in an independent "Here I am" kind of way, so anything too complex would be distracting. I served HEB brand of Parmesan Baked Pita Chips. They are bite sized and made a good partner. My Honey spread the tapenade on a hunk of garlic bread. That worked well for him!

 

Let me know if you try this and what you think. It was a hit last night. Remember, the best food is that which you tweak just a bit!! Recipe below, too.

Black Olive Tapenade with Crostinis - Appetizer

OK, it's just canned, drained and chopped black olives with oil on toast. A French appetizer, tapenade is typically made with capers, black olives, anchovies and olive oil. Just put it all in a food processor until it's the consistency of hot dog pickle relish.

Crostini is Italian for "little toast" made with olive oil, salt and pepper. The Chef's latest recipe is sophisticated and simple, like a black evening dress -- a perfect party starter.

Black Olive Tapenade is a quick budget appetizer that you can make your own. There are many variations that the Mediterranean region has adapted -- so feel free to do the same. If you have sun-dried tomatoes in oil, add it; don't like anchovies, leave them out; capers too expensive, add a little chopped garlic instead; got some window-box herbs, add a few sprigs.

This versatile appetizer can be served on your favorite cracker or cut pita triangles. It even goes well as an extra topping on pizza. Black olives are a favorite budget item this Chef never tires of.

Ingredients for Tapenade (serves 4)
1 15oz. can of pitted black olives - drained
1/3 cup of olive oil*
Pepper to taste

All the following ingredients are optional -- use any or all.

3 large sun dried tomato halves with oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic - jar or fresh
1 tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - including parsley, sage or oregano
1 tbsp. capers - drained
1 whole anchovy from can
1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard



Crostini
2 French rolls - 6 inch size or just 1/2 loaf - sliced.
                                                                          2 - 4 tbsp. olive oil
                                                                      Salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle bread slices with olive oil and salt and pepper. Toast in oven or toaster oven for about 7 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned.

Directions for Tapenade
Simple, just combine all the ingredients you have on hand and blender, or food process, until finely chopped. Ready to serve on Crostini toast, crackers or pita triangles. You can prepare way ahead and store in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving.
*Ok to use less olive oil, too.