Black olive tapenade (VIDEO)

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

A few months ago, my dear friend from Cyprus brought me two large jars of black olives. She said to me, "You, Inna, are the only one who I know could use these olives.

They are preserved with salt only. They are dry, but delicious!"

I was thrilled! If you know me, you probably know how much I love fermented foods. The olives were similar to Kalamata olives, though not pickled with vinegar and salt. It was preserved the old fashion way - the way her and her family have done it for generations. You can find olives preserved in this fashion in America by looking for it labeled as "dry cured" or "sun dried." Here's one example of California sun dried black olives that I highly recommend. They are small to medium-sized black olives, looks wrinkles with a high oil content.

The benefit of using dry cured olives is that they are packed with a good bacteria. As I have mentioned here, using varieties of fermented products is good for your health.

What is tapenade and 6 uses for it

Tapenade is one of the oldest condiments in the world and is made from black olives. It is a popular hors d'oeuvre in many countries. It is super easy to make and so versatile.

Here are six ways to use tapenade:

1. Used to flavor meats, for example I love to roast whole chicken stuffed under the skin with black olive tapenade. It's so good! The tapenade provides tons of flavor. I promise to share this recipe with you soon.

2. Use it as a dip.

3. The tapenade can also be thinned with olive oil and drizzled or used as a base for vinaigrettes.

4. Another thing I personally love to do for my picky husband (who is not a lover of olives) is to spread on pizza before applying the sauce and cheese.

5. For the quick pasta meal, it can be a base for a simple sauce, all you need a little bit of olive oil and parmesan cheese.

6. Tapenade can be spread on bread or crostini.

How long can tapenade last?

Tapenade will keep in the fridge for a month or more if you topped with a thin layer of olive oil.

What do I need to make it?

Making tapenade is very easy, though it can take a bit of time to peel the olives. In most traditional preparation methods, you simply mash all ingredients together with a mortar and pestle. Ideally, the end result will be chunky, but well blended. Similar results can be achieved in a food processor. Lastly, you can even chop all ingredients into very small pieces with a knife then blend with a spoon.

Let's make it...

Prep time: 5 minutes

Making time: 5 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Autor: Inna of Innichkachef.com

Ingredients

2 cups black olives (dry cured)

1/2 cup Kalamata olives

2-3 cloves garlic

2-3 file of anchovies

4-5 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 lemon (juice only)

freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Pit the cured black olives. Then set a side. As you can see in the pictures, I like to use the bottom of a shot glass to speed the process up.

2. Add to the bowl chopped Kalamata olives, parsley, black pepper, red pepper flakes, and lemon juice.

3. In mortar and pestle, add anchovies, chopped garlic. Proses until nice and smooth.

4. Mix all ingredients together, thin a little bit more with olive oil, if desired. Serve with bread.

Check out these recipes Bold Sourdough bread and Artisan Sourdough Rye Bread in a Dutch Oven for some great ideas on bread.

Enjoy!

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.