I know it looks scary, but don’t be afraid! :)
When Brent and I first dated there were a handful of things that he claimed he would NEVER like…..one of them being olives. Little did he know he didn’t stand a chance hating them forever when he married a girl that can polish off a can of black olives in one sitting and drinks the juice of green olives. I LOVE olives!! When I was younger, I was so excited to go over to my grandparents for the holidays because it seemed like there was a never ending supply of both green and black olives. You could always find my sister and I either hovering over the relish tray or hiding somewhere with a bowl of them. Over the course of time, Brent is starting to take small steps and liking these Mediterranean salt spheres. There may be a day that I have to share my olive stash with him. GASP! We are very far away from this point.
Although this appetizer doesn’t photograph well AT ALL, it was actually pretty good. I preferred this version of tapenade over the store bought ones. I’m not sure if it was the lemon juice that tamed the bite a bit, or the addition of the basil!?!? Either way it was nice to not feel like I needed to drink a jug of water after a few bites. I think next time I would serve with crostini rather than fresh baguette to add some crunch. Overall, tasty appetizer for all olive lovers! Even Brent said he enjoyed it……definitely a victory!!
Olivada
Recipe from The Complete Italian Vegetarian Cookbook
Ingredients
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 8 large basil leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 cups drained black olives, pitted
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and pepper to season
1. Place garlic, basil and thyme in a food processor. Process, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the ingredients are finely chopped. Add the olives and lemon juice and pulse, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times, to form a coarse paste.
2. For a coarse paste, add the oil all at once and pulse until it is just incorporated. For a smooth paste, add the oil in a steady stream through the feed tube with the motor running. Scrape the olive paste into an airtight container and adjust the seasonings (I seasoned with salt and pepper). Olive paste can be refrigerated for several days. For longer storage, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the paste.
