Olive Tapenade

Tapenade, a chunky topping to spread on crusty bread, is a very common Italian/Mediterranean French starter. Although its origin is French, the ingredients in it make it a common starter in Italian and Mediterranean restaurants. A while ago, we took my parents to an Italian restaurant, fingers crossed hoping they would like at least some of the dishes and the overall experience. This was before they had even tried pesto, so I wasn't sure what to expect from them. But, I have been pleasantly surprised at how well they are taking to different cuisines! I am impressed and proud that they are open to trying everything (even sloppy burgers), and find something to like and relate with every cuisine. At the Italian place, my mom loved the complimentary olive tapenade! She raved about it and said it tasted very similar to raw mango. So, this week, I thought of making some simple olive tapenade at home. 

Tapenades, especially olive tapenades are extremely easy to make. It involves just grinding olives and a few ingredients along with olive oil. So, here it is.

Ingredients (serves 6):

1. 34 green olives, pitted (or a mix of kalamata, black, and green olives)
2. 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (drained, if stored in oil)
3. 1 small or half a pickled pepperoncini (seeded and rinsed to remove some of the sourness and heat)
4. 2 tablespoons basil leaves
5. 1 clove of garlic
6. grated zest of 1 lemon
7. 1/4 cup olive oil

Preparation:

1.  Add all ingredients except olive oil to a blender and pulse/process until everything is broken down. 
2. Slowly add olive oil and grind to make a slightly chunky tapenade. 

Serve with toasted/grilled crusty bread or pita chips or any chips.

A few notes:

• Olives are generally salty and briney, so it's not necessary to add salt. Taste and add some salt if absolutely required
• Capers are commonly added to olive tapenade. I added half a pepperoncini to compensate for the extra tartness imparted by capers.