tapenade aux olives vertes ou noires

photo: telaviv4fun

its name, derived from the provençal word for capers — tapéno, is synonymous with good times with friends and sipping wine on a warm summer's evening. tapenade really is one of the tastiest spreads for a crusty, fresh loaf of french bread.

this olive paste which originates from france, is often and most commonly used for hors d'oeuvres. it can be made from either green or black olives and fortified with other ingredients which are optional. capers are typically a main ingredient but as you will see with patricia wells' recipe, there isn't a caper to be found. her version, from ma cuisine en provence, includes tuna.

if you can read french or just like to look at pictures, here is an article about "la récolte" or harvesting of olives in france.

here are some olives which are specific to israel and here is a very nice display of a myriad of different types in general.

feeling the need to cure your own with lye or to read more? and with enough links to make one's head spin, here you'll find everything olive-related.

the basic elements of a tapenade, often called and likened to as "caviar" are:

pitted black olives [salt-cured]
anchovy fillets
capers
a mild extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to one's taste

the preparation is pretty forgiving however the formula for tapenade is always more olives than capers. it can be prepared in a food processor, chopped by hand or done in a large mortar.

basic kalamata tapenade
(only black olives)

ingredients:

25 pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp chopped capers, more or less
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 - 3/4 tsp anchovy paste [optional]
cracked black pepper

method:

choose your way of preparing the ingredients in either a processor, a mortar or by hand.


provençal version of tapenade
(only black olives)

ingredients:

1 1/2 cup olives [kalamata or other cured black ones]
2 garlic cloves
2 1/2 oz anchovy fillets
1/2 cup capers
1/2 cup olive oil
Fresh black pepper

method:

coarsely chop and mix.


patricia wells' green olive tapenade

ingredients:

1 170g can of tuna in oil
60 g soft butter
150 g green olives, pitted and drained & chopped
lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dried basil or 4 tbsp fresh chopped

method:

with a fork, break up the tuna in the can and then put all of it including the oil either in a bowl or a processor. add the rest of the ingredients and process or mix well.


for another green olive tapenade recipe with a gorgeous picture, click here.


figs stuffed with tapenade

Cooking to Beat the Clock Sam Gugino

ingredients:

15 oil-cured black olives, pitted
2 teaspoons capers
1 anchovy fillet
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons olive oil
12 ripe, small mission figs

method:

puree olives, capers, anchovy, and thyme together in a food processor or chop by hand.

make a slit in the side of each fig and spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of tapenade into the fig. pinch opening closed. allow 3 figs per person.

yield: 4 servings

if you want to know how to make 4 different kinds of marinated olives, look at this from videojug.com, a site that i like a lot: