The One-Minute Appetizer
It doesn’t get much faster or easier than preparing this recipe for a boldly flavored Sun-Dried Tomato and Greek Olive Tapenade (ta-pen-AHD). Okay it may take a couple of minutes if you count the time for setting out some crackers, endive or a few baby romaine leaves and/or slicing a few vegetables and arranging your platter. But the tapenade itself takes one minute at most.
A Creation Story
This recipe came about a couple of days ago. I was invited to the home of some friends for an afternoon “spa party”—an opportunity to sit in a sauna, scrub in a steam shower and have a facial as well as visit with their very precious two-week old Labradoodle puppies! As often happens, everything takes longer than expected and suddenly I realized that I was way behind schedule. I was asked to bring a snack and hadn’t even decided what to bring, let alone make it and get ready myself.
Just Three Ingredients
So, a quick perusal of the fridge and I had an idea: blend together some of the fabulous sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil with the Kalamata olives and a little parsley and voilà, tapenade in under a minute! I packed it into a travel container along with slices of jicama and carrots, put on the lid and got myself ready. What a surprise, all this last-minute activity and traffic, too, and I still arrived five minutes early.
When You Have More Time
As you are able, prepare this tapenade and all tapenades, a day or two in advance.The extra time allows the flavors to blend and embolden and taste even better.
When you do have a little extra time and can plan in advance, you might also consider the recipe from a post last December for Fig, Black Olive and Walnut Tapenade.
Change is In the Offing
Between spring gardening and some upcoming cooking classes, I have decided to cut back to posting once a week instead of twice. However, if I just can’t help myself and have to write something, there will be an occasional extra post. Once the garden is happily growing and producing, I can imagine having a bit more time to share my days and recipes with all of you more frequently.
I will also, per request, create a few more photo galleries: one of flowers, one of food and one of my Buddha photos. A reminder: you can send free eCards of any of the photos and purchase cards and prints for 20% off through the 15th of April. Enjoy!
Sun-Dried Tomato & Greek Olive Tapenade
A boldly flavored and vegan version of tapenade—the classic Provencal condiment. As with all tapenades, the flavors improve when it is prepared at least the day before you serve it. Serve with sliced jicama, carrots and cucumber and/or with Belgian endive or baby romaine lettuce leaves and an assortment of crackers.
Makes 1 rounded cup Printer-Friendly Recipe
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
8 ounces pitted, drained Kalamata olives, 1 rounded cup
¼ cup lightly packed Italian flat leaf parsley
Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and chop into a coarse paste using the pulse button.
So, did you bring home one of those precious puppies?
No, but wouldn’t I have liked to? They are all already spoken for and, besides, two weeks is rather early to take puppies from their mama 😉 What precious treasures they are.