I made this tapenade for a wine tasting at O’Gourmet Food Hall. It was paired with a Santanegro Syrah 2008 – a light red wine. I think tapenade is one of the most delightful of the vegan/vegetarian starters – its so easy to make, and yet has such complex flavours, particularly if you get the balance right. Because its so simple, its important to ensure that all the components are beautifully presented.
I used a really good quality french bread for the toasts – sliced on the diagonal, and then brushed with a mixture of virgin olive oil, Maldon salt and a few cloves of garlic. Baked in the oven until golden brown, they were then covered with the tapenade, and a small sprig of parsley. Obviously, the parsley isnt neccessary, but it makes it look so pretty and elegant.
I love the lemon in this tapenade. It brightens the dark complexity of the olives and oil, and brings a freshness and clarity to the taste of the paste. You could use this as a starter, or in so many other things – a few tablespoons mixed with angel hair pasta gives you a quick and satisfying dinner; a teaspoon or so spread on bread is the basis for a sandwich with intriguing depth, and as a dip for crudites, this is strong and delicious.
This recipe makes about 2 – 2 1/2 cups. I made 20 appetisers and had enough left over for a snack later!
Tapenade with French bread toasts
For the Tapenade
- 2 cups black olives (drained and pitted if needed)
- 1 cup green olives (drained and pitted if needed)
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (organic if you can find it)
- 1 lemon
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 – 3 tbsp caper berries
In a large bowl, combine the olives, about half the olive oil, the grated zest of the lemon (I use a Microplane lemon grater), the garlic cloves cut in half, and the caper berries. You can use a food processor to blitz everything, but I actually like using my immersion blender. It gives much more control, and you can decide when the tapenade is of the consistency that you prefer. I personally like it a little chunky, but you can process until almost smooth.
Squeeze the juice of half the lemon into the mixture, and stir well. Taste and adjust flavourings. You shouldnt need salt as the the olives are usually quite salty, but if you really want it, add. I usually adjust the lemon a little, or the caper berries.
Cover the tapenade with the remaining olive oil, and set aside for at least 2 hours, or overnight to let all the flavours meld.
For the toasts and to serve
- 2 small (or 1 large) loaves fresh, crusty French bread
- 3 – 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- large pinch of Maldon Salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thickly
- Small bunch of Italian parsley
Preheat your oven to 180C (350F). Line a large baking sheet with parchment or baking paper.
Slice the loaves on the diagonal, and place the sliced bread on the baking sheet.
Mix the olive oil, salt and garlic together in a small bowl, and using a pastry brush, brush the bread with the olive oil mixture. Add extra olive oil if needed, but you dont want it too oily.
Bake the toasts in the oven for approximately 5 – 10 minutes until light golden.
Can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
To serve, spoon about a tablespoon of tapenade on each toast. Top with a small sprig of parsley, and serve.
Enjoy!
delectable 