I used to be indifferent to olives, but am so glad my tastes have changed! There are so many varieties, each with its own character, which you can eat on its own, stuffed, or use in recipes. They are particularly amazing in soups/stews, pastas, breads and on pizzas.
Savory, salty, crisp and briny—I love how incredibly versatile olives are! I find myself using them more frequently, especially since I rediscovered the antipasto bar (now that I enjoy olives) at Whole Foods. Yum! In fact, I usually end up with two containers—one to eat straight and one to make olive tapenade with.
Olive tapenade as quick, easy gourmet appetizer, side dish, sauce or spread. It can be served alongside crackers, toasted slices of pita, chips or crostini or on flatbreads and sandwiches. Just remember if you're keeping gluten-free make sure the crackers or bread you serve the tapenade with are also gluten-free. Same goes for a vegan option. Need I say more...
OLIVE TAPENADE
Ingredients
- 1 cup mixed olives
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp capers (optional, but recommended)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Pepper, to taste
Directions
- If you have a food processor, simply process all ingredients for a few seconds, until mixture is minced well, but not quite a paste. Otherwise finely mince the olives and garlic.
- Combine all other ingredients, mixing well.
Any leftovers can be stored up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
