Grown-Up Snack: Black Olive Tapenade

Have you ever been on your way to a gathering, almost out the door, and suddenly you realize that you don’t have anything to bring for the host/ess? This tapenade is such a great recipe for entertaining because it tastes delicious and comes together in a matter of minutes! It’s easy to adjust the recipe based on what you’ve got on hand in the kitchen, you can use any combination of olives you like, and by stopping and throwing this together, you’re really just giving yourself time to make a fashionable entrance!

Olive Tapenade

(Yields 1-1 ½ cups)

 Ingredients

1/2 pound mixed olives, seeded (mostly black with niçoise and kalamata)

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1-2 tablespoons capers

1 tablespoon lemon juice

extra-virgin olive oil, to taste

1-2 anchovies, optional

To serve:

Crackers or sliced baguette 

Directions

1. After rinsing, put your olives in food processor with 1 clove of garlic and pulse. (Add in second clove depending on your preference for garlic.)
2. Add capers and anchovies (if you like the added flavor) and drizzle in lemon juice and olive oil. Pulse.
3. Scrape down sides and taste, seeing whether or not it needs more of anything.
4. Pulse until semi-smooth and serve with crackers or crostini. Garnish as you like.