Olives: You Either Love 'Em or You Hate 'Em
Posted by Mark Cockerille on
As a child I loathed the taste of olives. It's funny how over time you develop new tastes! As an adult, I can't get enough of them. I prefer the large Queen green olive similar to a Spanish manzanetta olive. These olives are great to add to a little nibble plate that consists of deviled eggs, cheeses, crackers and pickled okra. On this week's "What's InSTORE Fridays" segment, I show you how to make a really tasty tapenade that would also make a great appetizer served with drinks. Tapenade is just a fancy word for an olive spread! The secret here is to use as many fresh ingredients as possible. In the recipe I use Holy Smoke Hickory Smoked Olive Oil which we sell on the online store here. This company is based out of Charleston, SC and cold smokes their oils at 37 degrees so all the nutritional value stays intact. This delicious Smoked Oil can be used over crostini, to make a vinaigrette, or even to cook with. Below is the recipe for the Smoky Tapenade. I like to spread it on thinly sliced toasted French bread.
Smoky Tapenade
Recipe by Holy Smoke in Charleston, South Carolina
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1 cup black olives, pitted (such as Kalamata or Niçoise)
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1 cup small green French olives, pitted (such as Picholine)
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1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, rehydrated*
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1 tablespoon salt cured capers, rinsed
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1 garlic clove
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1 anchovy or 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
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1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
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1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
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1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
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Lemon zest from one lemon
- 1/4 cup Holy Smoke Hickory Smoked Olive oil
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Holy Smoke Smoked Black Pepper to taste (or your own fresh cracked pepper)
Start by rinsing the olives well. In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, except the olive oil. Using the pulse button, pulse until coarsely chopped and well blended. Continue to pulse, slowly adding Holy Smoke Hickory Smoked Olive Oil. Finish with Holy Smoke Smoked Black Pepper. Enjoy with toast points, pita, or as a garnish on a composed dish.
*To rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes, simply submerge them in boiling water, cover and turn off the heatand let set for 30 minutes. Drain them and pat them dry.