I tried tapenade for the first time at a café a few years ago. And I really liked it, so I sought out a good tapenade recipe—I finally settled on this tapenade recipe that I found at All Recipes, and I’ve been making it ever since.
Yummy Olive Tapenade
For best results, make the tapenade one to two days before you plan on serving it. That’ll allow the flavors to mingle, and it’ll be even yummier.
Ingredients:
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 cup pitted kalamata olives
[When you go to the store, make sure you buy pitted kalamata olives.]- 2 tablespoons capers
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
[There’s a chance that you might be able to get the two tablespoons from a single lemon. But plan on having two lemons around just in case.]- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Peel the garlic cloves and mince them. Then put the minced garlic in your blender or food processor and pulse to further mince.
Use a fork to transfer the olives from the jar to your measuring cup. After you’ve filled the measuring cup, place your fingers over the top of the measuring cup to form a makeshift strainer, and turn the measuring sideways over your sink to drain the gist of any brine. Then empty the measuring cup into your food processor.
Measure the capers and use the same finger trick to drain their brine before adding them to the food processor.
Rinse the parsley, and gently pat it dry with a paper towel. Then chop the parsley and add it.
Add the lemon juice and the olive oil.
Blend until everything is finely chopped. Transfer the tapenade to a small bowl or serving dish, and then season it to taste with salt and fresh cracked pepper.
Optional: If you like your tapenade the way I make it, be generous with the pepper. Typically, I’ll go for three twist of the pepper mill, and then I’ll stir the tapenade with a spoon; then I’ll add three more twists of the pepper mill and stir the tapenade once more.
If you don’t plan on serving the tapenade right away, put a lid or plastic wrap over the container and keep the tapenade in your refrigerator; take it out about an hour before you plan on serving it.