Kalamata Olive Tapenade
30 Jan 2012 2 Comments
in Appetizers Tags: Appetizer, kalamata olives, Olive, Olive Spread
Years ago, a friend and her husband introduced me to a kalamata olive spread. Darn tasty stuff, especially spread on a fresh hunk of french bread. However, I hadn’t eaten it in years and had forgotten all about it until I chanced upon this recipe for kalamata tapenade. I just happened to have a partial jar of kalamata olives that had been sitting in the fridge and needed to be used up.
By the way, tapenade simply means “a savoury paste made from capers, olives, and anchovies, with olive oil and lemon juice” (from dictionary.com). Well, this spread doesn’t use capers and anchovies; it’s a bit simpler. It’s highly salty from the kalamata olives already, so I cannot imagine how much saltier the capers and anchovies would make it. But slathering it on a hunk of bread, pita chips, or crackers helps to mellow the saltiness.
In this recipe, the lemon juice packs a tangy undertone, so the spread has the salty from the olives and the sour from the lemon going. It also has a pungency from the garlic and a freshness from the parsley. All those strong flavors–this is not a spread for the lighthearted, let me tell you. Nonetheless, it’s different, fun, and would certainly make an impressive addition to a party or gathering.
Kalamata Olive Tapenade
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, peeling and grated
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
DIRECTIONS
- Add all ingredients to a food processor; pulse until well combined.
- Serve with bread, pita chips, crostini…
SOURCE: My Life as a Mrs.
