Olives!

Posted: May 6, 2010 | Author: Alyssa | Filed under: Alyssa | Tags: olives | 4 Comments »

As we slowly slide into spring I am excited about all the fun spring and summer dishes that I get to make.  When its warm out I tend to work more with salads and vegetables because the veggies are so good, and when its hot out, I’m not really in the mood for a super heavy meal.  One thing that I tend to use a lot of in the warm weather is olive tapenade.  I LOVE tapenade because you can throw it in a salad to give it some kick, you can use it in meat dishes, pasta dishes, and pretty much anything other kind of dish you want.  Unfortunately a lot of the store bought tapenades have stuff in them that I don’t care for, like pimento or capers, so I decided to make my own.

1 cup kalamata olives

1/2 cup green olives

2 cloves of garlic

2-ish tsp  lemon juice

olive oil

Put the olives and garlic in the food processor and pulse on high until they are fully chopped.  Then add the lemon juice and while the blades are spinning,drizzle in olive oil until it is the consistency you want.  Use what you want and just store the rest in the refrigerator.

I will probably have this on hand all summer because its so easyand versatile.  Anything from a simple appetizer spread on toasty italian bread, or tossed on to pasta with parmesan and grilled portabella.  This time I used it in a stacked tomato salad.

Starting with a slice of tomato, spread some tapenade, and top with a slice of fresh mozz.   Keep stacking until you are content, or until you have totally lost control of the structural integrity of the meal.

I think that next time I might throw in a little red onion to add some sweetness and a little bit of a different flavor.  A lot of people will add a couple of anchovy fillets, but I tend to feel that anchovies make it too salty when they are combined with the brine of the olives.

This is a pretty forgiving recipe and I fully intend to play with different ingredients until I really make it perfect.

Any suggestions?