This Old-World classic tapenade is best served with cheese, crusty warm bread or crackers. It's a delicious spread and a perfect holiday dip!

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As the “Noir Prophet” William Gibson remarked, “Time moves in one direction, Memory another.”

Time has been called our most precious resource, the metaphoric ‘meter’ by which our lives are gauged. It is a currency to be used as we wish, but is never conserved. One might think of it as a sort of Mephistophelean bargain – for though it is subject to our whims to be used, spent wisely, or wasted as we see fit, it is at the same time a cruel and ultimately unknowable master, pressing us forward on a journey in whose advancement we are given little choice.

Yet as this ‘most precious resource’ slips into the oblivion the past, it oddly leaves behind nothing material of itself, except the fading images we journeyers carry with us – Memories.

I’ve written previously about how it’s strange the things that can conjure a memory. The design on a mundane piece silverware might bring you back to a table crowded round with familiar faces, and rekindle the echoes of a warm conversation once long forgotten. A faded recipe card might transport you several years not to a holiday’s dinner, but to that year’s Christmas shopping.

At least, that’s what happened to me the other day as I was going through my old recipes looking for inspiration for this year’s holiday menu. I came across something I had served ages ago – an olive and anchovy tapenade, a beautifully rustic dish which is deceptively simple to prepare. I had entirely forgotten about the tapenade, but seeing the recipe again brought back a flood of memories from that year, very few of which, oddly enough, actually had anything to do with the meal at which it had been served.

For the sake of the nostalgia, and simply because this was a great addition to my holiday menu, I decided to remake it this year, but with a few minor updates.

To start things off, drain and rinse a 10oz jar of Mezetta pitted Greek Kalamata Olives, and a 10oz jar of Mezetta Spanish Queen Olives, Pimento Stuffed. Combine those in a food processor with about eight sundried tomatoes, four anchovy fillets, a large clove of garlic, two tablespoons of capers, fresh parsley, fresh basil, the juice of half a lemon, olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes, and process until fine.

Olive Tapenade

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5 from 4 reviews

Author: Living the Gourmet
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 10-12 1x

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Ingredients

Units Scale

10 oz. Mezetta pitted Greek Kalamata Olives - drained and rinsed
10 oz. Mezetta Spanish Queen Olives, Pimento Stuffed - drained and rinsed
6 - 8 Sun dried tomatoes
4 anchovy fillets
1 large clove garlic
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Juice of 1/2 small lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 - 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

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Instructions

Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor and process.
Place in a serving bowl and serve thin sliced cheese and thin sliced Artisan or Italian bread.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Category: Appetizer
Cuisine: French

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1

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While this can be served simply as a sort of ‘dip’ accompanying the rest of your appetizers, I prefer to put this on a tray all its own with sliced artisan bread or perhaps garlic bread, and infused olive oil to further enhance its already rustic profile.

What are some of your favorite holiday recipes for memory making? We would love to hear from you.

Enjoy with Love,
Catherine
xo

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Olive Tapenade