EASY OLIVE TAPENADE!! LEFTOVER MEZZA MAKEOVER!!

Let’s take some of those leftover olives and such from that beautiful Mediterranean Mezze platter and turn it into a useful condiment that we can employ as an appetizer, spread, pasta sauce and beyond! This olive tapenade is full of flavor, and it is something we love in our family, but have you ever gone to purchase this from the store? It will make your head spin when you see the price! A small jar that is about half a cup is more than $5! I can make so much more than that from leftovers that were on my Mezze platter or charcuterie board that we will be able to enjoy for the coming weeks! This is a fabulous, bougie leftover makeover that is sure to please in so many ways!

Tapenade can be made in several ways. It is basically a bunch of ingredients chopped up together and used to serve on baguette or as part of crostini or just as a briny dip. We love it and I really love how easy it is to make. I bet you have some of these ingredients on hand already. Maybe in the back of your fridge or in your pantry! This is a great option to make after a big holiday get together or even as a holiday gift for family and friends. You can mix up a big batch and jar it up and keep it in the fridge for gifting. This will make a great hostess gift as well as a quick, throw together appetizer for drop in guests with a glass of wine while visiting!

Today we are using the leftover calamata or brined black olives as well as the green olives brined with the Zataar seasoning along with some roasted red pepper strips, sun dried tomatoes in oil. Flavorizers include capers, minced garlic, and an anchovy filet, if you have anchovy paste, use about a teaspoon or you can always leave this out if you don’t have them or it is not your preference. Anchovies do not taste fishy; they add a bit of briny depth and nuttiness to the final dish. I am also adding some lemon juice and olive oil to finish.

I am using my food processor for ease, but you could easily do this on a large cutting board with a knife or a mezzaluna until the mixture reaches your preferred consistency. I like to add everything but the olive oil to the bowl of the food processor and then give this about 9 or 10 good pulses. Don’t over process the tapenade into a paste. That is not the result we are going for. We want this to have some good texture and if you can still see some larger slices of olive, all the better! Then you can transfer this to a bowl and stir in your olive oil.

Now you are ready to serve with some fresh bread, toasted baguette, soft or crunchy pita. This is a great interactive appetizer that can be served as is, but this tapenade has so many other opportunities! Use it as a sandwich spread for a New Orleans style Muffuletta sandwich, use it when steaming fish in parchment for a delicious and fancy main course. Drape of a piece of grilled chicken. Add to a salad, or to your marinara sauce for a flavor boost. Toss with warm pasta for a simple side dish or use it to enhance your favorite pizza! The possibilities are endless! Use your imagination!

I hope you give this easy olive tapenade a try sometime soon and I hope you love it!

Happy Eating!

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