Thursday, August 6, 2009

Olive Tapenade


I made this olive tapenade for my mom's birthday dinner because she's a big olive lover. Everyone always passes their olives over to her - well except me now, I've grown to like them. But I didn't think I, or anyone other than my mom or sister in law, would like this tapenade. But people did! It's so incredibly easy to make, versatile and full of flavour. I think it would be an excellent addition to an otherwise blah sandwich, or maybe it could be mixed into a pasta dish, and of course it can be eaten on bread as we did. When I cook, I'm scared of changing too much especially if it's an unfamiliar dish. But for some reason with this one, I felt confident it would turn out however I modified it and it did. So feel free to add or take out whatever you like.


If this sounds good, you might also like:
Onion Chutney
Spinach Artichoke Heart Dip
Cheddar Ale Dip
Pan Fried Onion Dip

Olive Tapenade
Adapted from Lisa's Kitchen

I don't remember what kind of olives I used, and while it might be best to use Kalamata olives, I think any black olive would be okay. But I'm not a frequent olive eater so I might not know what I'm talking about. =)

1 generous cup of Kalamata olives, pitted
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon of dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of dried rosemary
freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Put all of the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a thick paste. Adjust seasonings accordingly.

17 comments:

Anh said...

Oh yes, this is so beautiful. I like to spread it over my bread. So good!

Homemade Heaven said...

I love oilve tapenade - a great summer dish.

Snooky doodle said...

yummy I love olives! I have made tapenade before and I like it alot. I ll try this version now though.

Liz said...

Miam! We love this at home. I love all the herbs you put in, it has to be sooo tasty! And it looks really great with an awsome texture. Have a great week-end, Liz.

Sam@BingeNYC said...

Tapenade + goat cheese...yum! I like your addition of rosemary, sounds delicious.

kimberleyblue said...

i see no reason why people wouldn't LOVE this!
i adore olive tapenade, and this one sounds better than most i've had. what a blend of spices! yummmm.

Lisa Turner said...

One of my very favorites! I'm delighted you got a chance to try it. Looks wonderful.

Dana said...

Olives are one of my favorite things in the world. I think you can use any olive here except those bland ones you get in the can. Green olive tapenade is awesome too. I love having something like this in my fridge - keeps for weeks.

Steph said...

That looks really interesting! I love that you make so much stuff I've never heard about before. I'm always learning about new dishes here!

test it comm said...

That is one tasty looking tapenade! Tapenade is a great way to enjoy Kalamata olives.

Chef Fresco said...

This tapenade looks really flavorful. I love making dips and spreads but tapenade is one I have never attempted.

Ricki said...

I'm a tapenade lover, and this one looks great. I think regular black olives would be less pungent, but still good!

Pam Walter said...

Olive tapendae is one of my favorite accent dishes. This recipe looks both delicious and easy. Thanks for sharing. http://blog.sweetservices.com/sweetscandyblog/

Hannah said...

Yum yum, sounds a lot like the tapenade I made recently- Delicious!

Deborah said...

I've never actually had an olive tapenade, although I do love olives.

Carol Mackintosh said...

Hi Carol Warner Beach SA - Bought some Green Olive Tapenade in Greece - going to try it today - very excited

Anonymous said...

as a change...try mashing anchovies with fresh lemon and add to food processor along with roasted red pepper...a real crowd pleaser!