Summer time in France… embracing every chance left to sit outside on a shiny summer afternoon, be it quiet time on your terrace or a picnic in the park with friends and family. Chilled white wine with some delectable nibbles on the sides. These Provençal people sure nailed it down with their beloved and popular tapenade, where olive is the STAR! What a way to help that summer linger a little bit longer in our lives… In France, aperitif time is just before lunch or dinner where everybody gathers around to enjoy a drink and chit chat about small things or big gossips. And in France when there is drink, there is also food. A table full of hors d’oeuvres and antipasti for everybody to enjoy. This Olive tapenade makes its way to such tables very very often. For its popularity and easy makeup, the host is happy and the guests are happy!!
What is Tapenade?
Pronunciation: Tapenade comes from Provence, a region in the south of France. The name comes from the Provençal word “Tapenas” for capers. Funny, since capers only play a supporting role in the dish, as olive is the star. The other ingredients like garlic, anchovies, herbs and lemon juice just intensify everything that is good about olives. Traditionally it’s made with black olives, but very soon it evolved to include different types and colors of olives. They are chopped or blended, along with the other ingredients, into a paste. The tapenade could be chunky and coarse, or made into silky smoothness. There is no right or wrong way, but recipes passed down the generations develop personal preferences. Tapenade is generally eaten as hors d’oeuvres on crostini or crudites, but can find its way into pots and pans cooking some great tasting main courses.
How Does It Taste?
Do you have a “salty tooth”? If yes, this is for you. The dominant taste of a tapenade is the briny salty olive-caper combo. To round out the flavor there is a tiny hint of garlic, along with the zingy freshness of lemon juice and some fresh herbs, all blended well with loads of olive oil… PERFECT! I am skipping anchovies today, so this one is vegan and plant based friendly.
Ingredients Needed
Olives – You can make tapenade with any of your favorite olives. Just single-colored or multicolored like us. I am using black, pimento stuffed green and kalamata pitted olives. You can experiment with it a lot if you happen to have an olive bar in your grocery store… Fun fun! Capers – Some more briny flavor. Sun dried tomatoes – So good here. Garlic – Minced. Just a tiny bit, you don’t want to overpower the flavors with raw garlic. Lemon juice – Zesty freshness. Sometimes we do add lemon zest too. Fresh herbs – Basil and parsley. Red chili flakes – Optional, but I love it. Salt and pepper – To taste. Olive oil – So everything comes together.
Tapenade Recipe
The quickest way I’ve found to make this fancy appetizer is by tossing everything into my blender. When I do this, I make sure to pulse it, so I can control the texture and make it just the way I like it. To make this, I simply toss everything into my blender except the olive oil and give it a few pulses, scraping down the sides if needed. Then, I drizzle in the olive oil at the end and give it a few more pulses until it’s all blended together perfectly… And voila, it’s ready. Keep it a little chunkier, or blend it smooth, it’s up to you. I like it both ways. At the Beisers’, some days it’s chunky, some days skinny. 🙂 Some days, like today, I just chop everything on my chopping board. It’s slower, but kinda therapeutic. But that’s just me, someone who loves cooking.
Some Great Variations
Are you into anchovies? Many of the French versions do include a few anchovies. Just stir in 1-2 when you are blending the rest of the ingredients. Some days I add in some nuts like walnuts, pistachios, blanched almonds or even pine nuts. Another great variation is to add in some figs for a little sweeter touch. It balances very well with the savory brininess. Add in fresh chopped cherry tomatoes. Or cook the olive mixture, along with tomatoes, for a few minutes. You can just make mono colored tapenade using one type of olive. Vary the amount of olive oil. Sometimes I douse the tapenade with more olive oil than others.
How to Use It
Tapenade, my friends. This salty, briny Mediterranean recipe may be the easiest thing you will ever make. This is your companion for that quiet “me time”, or the ideal contender to bring to a friend’s house for an appetizer. The compliments you will get are inversely proportional to the effort put in. Let’s make this favorite French time pass our everyday thing too. This delectable nibble, where olive is the star ingredient, to accompany fresh bread and a chilled glass of white wine. What a great way to let summer linger a little longer!
Olive Tapenade, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
Enjoy these other great appetizers from around the world!Gambas al Ajillo (Spanish Garlic Shrimp)Tostones (Fried Plantains)German Sauerkraut BallsEspinacas con GarbanzosMoutabal (Eggplant Dip)Shrimp de JongheSpicy DumplingsGigantes Plaki
