First tapinades

[Marlingardener]

I'm trying to make tapenades for the first time.
Olive tapenade with kalamata olives, capers, lemon juice, garlic and parsley.
Also tomato tapenade with, of course, Roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and basil.
Does this sound like it will work? If you have other recipes, or ideas, please let me know. This is unknown territory for me and I don't want to mess up!

 

[dragnlaw]

For your Olive one - I've only ever had it with Black but I've seen where a lot of people also use Green mixed in.

About 3 cloves of garlic, approx 1 cup black olives, 2 or 3 Tbsp parsley, I did equal lemon and oil think it was 2 Tbsp and of course the prerequisite salt an pepper to taste.

The quantities don't really matter, more of the ratio, and .... just looked up my recipe and the above is good... but also some capers, 2 Tbsp.

Chop chop - I prefer to do by hand but if you wan ti really fine then a blender/chopper will do it.

So your list is perfect, just go for it - only you can say what you prefer.

Tomato - I've never done.

 

[taxlady]

I got interested in tapinades back in 2010. I collected a few recipes. I made some. I liked it, but DH doesn't like olives, so he didn't care for it. I also saved the ingredient lists for four different tapinades. The ingredient lists were all pretty much the same. One did include oven dried tomatoes. Which fresh herbs and how much of each ingredient were the main variations between them. Oh, and whether the olives should all be black or if, there were also be some green ones.

Mine was just a smaller batch and made with what I had at home at the time. I'm sure that these are easy to adjust to taste.

If I remember correctly, the method was to pulse everything in a food processor or chop the ingredients and pound them in a mortar and pestle. There was a note that one shouldn't make it too smooth. It should still have some texture.

Here is the list of ingredients for the one I made.

• 1 1/2 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 anchovy fillet
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• Fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

I see that while I was typing my reply, dragn replied. I agree with her reply.

 

[Marlingardener]

Oh, these replies are so helpful! Thank you a bunch.

 

[taxlady]

BTW, when a recipe calls for an anchovy fillet or just a few, I often use anchovy paste. I figure a strip of the paste about 3" long is the equivalent of one anchovy fillet.

 

[IC 2.0]

I'm trying to make tapenades for the first time.
Olive tapenade with kalamata olives, capers, lemon juice, garlic and parsley.
Also tomato tapenade with, of course, Roma tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and basil.
Does this sound like it will work? If you have other recipes, or ideas, please let me know. This is unknown territory for me and I don't want to mess up!

Since tapenade traditionally consists of olives and capers, you might want to add capers to your tomato version to give it more of a tapenade-like flavor. Your recipe sounds good as is, but it's basically a version of Sauce Vierge (which is outstanding with fish, btw!).

 

[dragnlaw]

Hey Marlin, from late last summer, how did your tapenades' go?
Good, bad, ugly?

 

[Aunt Bea]

The addition of dried figs or prunes was interesting to me. I suppose that you could use an equal amount of most any dried fruit that you have on hand.

 

[Marlingardener]

Dragnlaw, the tapinades turned out very, very good! I did add capers, and used green olives with no salt added to the tapinade since the olives are pretty "briny".
I'll be making it again if the garden does well. If it doesn't, I'll buy tomatoes at the farmer's market.

 

[taxlady]

The addition of dried figs or prunes was interesting to me. I suppose that you could use an equal amount of most any dried fruit that you have on hand.

I imagine the dry fruit should be soft enough to easily incorporate into the tapinade.

Watching how he served it gave me a brain storm. I could make plain bruschetta - just the toasted bread rubbed with garlic. Then I could serve it with tapinade, pesto, salsa, and maybe some other spreads. Sounds like an interesting appetizer or snack.

 

[msmofet]

I missed this thread when new.

The tomato sounds like bruschetta. Love it. I add a bit of red wine vinegar to mine.

I make green olive tapenade. Not home or I would post the recipe.

 

[dragnlaw]

I find it a little annoying when people crush anything together and call it a tapenade. Tapenade is made from Olives (usually black but could be green) and Capers and Olive Oil. Various spices/herbs are also added, but it is OLIVES!
Basil = Pesto
Tomato = Salsa - bruschetta
Chopped Dried fruit = Jam - compote

I have no idea what other blends would be called.
JMHO

 

[Marlingardener]

Sorry to annoy you, dragnlaw, but we live in the back of nowhere, and tapinades are not common, or even known. I have to make my own using what is available. I'll keep on crushing, and beg your pardon.

 

[GotGarlic]

I find it a little annoying when people crush anything together and call it a tapenade. Tapenade is made from Olives (usually black but could be green) and Capers and Olive Oil. Various spices/herbs are also added, but it is OLIVES!
Basil = Pesto
Tomato = Salsa - bruschetta
Chopped Dried fruit = Jam - compote

I have no idea what other blends would be called.

I agree that a tapenade includes olives. Blends with fruit with savory ingredients and spices are often called chutney.

 

[dragnlaw]

CHUTNEY! .... tarnation! could NOT think of that word.

Thank you, GG

LOL, Marlin, not to worry! I'll live.