Green Olive Tapenade: Pre Meal Nibbles

Served in more than one country and in more than one restaurant in Cairo, the idea of olive tapenade is simply genius! It’s super-fast & easy to make, it tastes amazing, and it’s a really good starter to calm down your growling tummy before your food comes, without feeling full. Better yet, you can spread it on toasted baguette, add some goat cheese on top and melt it, even add a slice of peeled orange on top for some palette playfulness! And making it at home makes all the difference…

Tapenade originated in the south of France, and it’s considered a vital hors d’ouevre down there. It’s basically a fancy word for an olive spread, but not your ordinary olive spread of course! ‘Tapenas’ is capers in ‘Provencal’ cuisine, and the olives & anchovies in the original recipe were just to give it a twist. Who would have known that it would develop to center all the attention round the olive?!

Quick tip; Tapenades also could be made with mushrooms, roasted peppers, zucchini or Aubergine!

RECIPE:

1 jar green pitted olives

1/2 jar capers

Zest of 1 lemon

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp. fresh or dried parsley

3 tbsp. Chopped basil leaves

Salt & pepper

Olive oil

METHOD:

· Drain olives and capers; place in the bowl of a food processor. 

· Add lemon zest, parsley basil leaves, Parmesan cheese; process a few seconds to blend ingredients together.

· Drizzle in olive oil, pulsing occasionally, until tapenade reaches your desired consistency.  It should be moist, but not runny. 

· Serve with toasted baguette, brushed lightly with olive oil.

 Enjoy 🙂