Black Olive Tapenade

The salty earthiness of black olive tapenade is the perfect complement for pasta, spread on crostini or bruschetta, or to top sweet red baked potatoes.

A recipe is only as good as its ingredients, and tapenade is no exception. Use only good-quality, brine-cured olives, not the canned supermarket variety.

If using a food processor instead of the traditional mortar and pestle, be careful not to overprocess. The tapenade should retain some texture. Both large, meaty Kalamata olives and the smaller, sweet Gaeta variety are great in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups Kalamata or Gaeta olives, pitted
3 tablespoons capers, drained
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a food processor or mortar, combine the olives, capers, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the oil and pulse or work with the pestle into a coarse paste, retaining some bits of olive and caper for texture. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Stored tightly covered in the refrigerator, this will keep well for a week or two.

Makes about 2 cups.

Read more: Food, All recipes, Soups & Salads

Adapted from The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook, by Robin Robertson (The Harvard Common Press, 2002). Copyright (c) 2002 by Robin Robertson. Reprinted by permission of The Harvard Common Press.
Adapted from The Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook, by Robin Robertson (The Harvard Common Press, 2002).

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Jennifer C.

4:38PM PST on Jan 12, 2012

This recipe sounds good. Thanks.

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Melissah C.

3:53AM PDT on Sep 25, 2010

thanks

4:48AM PDT on Sep 24, 2010

Jennie W.

5:06PM PDT on Aug 27, 2010

I'll be bookmarking this one.

Julie F.

7:59AM PDT on Jul 25, 2010

sounds good

Mervi R.

9:48AM PST on Feb 22, 2010

Sounds great!

Joanna K.

4:45AM PST on Feb 1, 2010

I'm not a fan of using the garlic in tapenade, tastes a little bit softer without it. But still thank you for the recipe:)

Past Member .

1:07AM PST on Jan 19, 2010

I've made this tapenade a few times and would never buy readymade..

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Victoria S.

1:26PM PDT on Aug 11, 2008

Nice recipe, Very yummy, have tried it and loved it very much.

Michele J.

12:26PM PDT on May 16, 2008

I haven't tried this yet, but I am also on a diet from Prevention magazine. It sounds wonderful...but I love olives to begin with. Thanks for the recipe.