Black and Green Olive Tapenades
Traditional Olive Tapenade is hard to beat. The briny, dark purple, Greek Kalamata olives mixed with capers, lemon, olive oil and all kinds of good stuff create the ultimate spread. What do you say we go one step further? Making an additional tapenade with either buttery green Frescatrono or Castelvetrano olives puts an entire new spin on things. Serve them side-by-side so you can tell the distinct difference in taste, or mix them together for the ultimate tapenade experience. You will swoon over this spooned onto crusty Artisan bread. But this stuff isn’t just a one-trick pony – I love to keep a constant stash in my refrigerator to slather on chicken or fish before baking or grilling, and it is guaranteed to blow your mind if you dollop generously on rice or other grains.
Ingredients
- FOR THE KALAMATA OLIVE TAPENADE
- ½ pound kalamata olives pitted
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- FOR THE GREEN OLIVE FRESCATRONO, CASTELVETRANO, OR OTHER GREEN OLIVE OF YOUR CHOICE
- ½ pound green olives pitted
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- INSTRUCTIONS
- I love to make this in a food processor, but just be careful that you don’t over-process your tapenade. Some people like a chunky texture while others like a smooth paste. You decide what’s best for you. I’m kind of in the middle, but really like mine a little on the chunky side. That being said, it’s just this simple:
- Pulse all of the ingredients in a food processor until it’s the texture you like.
- NOTE: Before committing your olives to the food processor, do yourself a big favor and spread them out on a cutting board, then roughly chop through them with a knife. This will most likely prevent you from accidentally processing an olive where the pit has not yet been removed. It seems like every single time I omit this step, I hear that dreaded crunching sound from the food processor. Then I am forced to pour everything out and dig around in there until I find the culprit. It would be very bad if you or one of your guests cracked a molar on this delicious concoction.
- ANOTHER NOTE: The amounts of ingredients given above are estimates. Add more garlic, lemon, or capers if you prefer.
- SERVING SUGGESTION: If you make both the Kalamata and Green tapenades, it’s great fun to swirl them around in a serving bowl. Be sure to drizzle with some good olive oil before diving in.
