Robust Onion-Olive Tapenade

Submitted by A Messy Cook

"From "Eat Well Naturally," a free e-letter with lots of yummy, healthy recipes. The cuisine of Provincial France has given us a wonderful gift in tapenade, a savory black olive paste that is absolutely divine on bread, pasta, or salads. It‘s a cinch to make and completely versatile: you can use it as an appetizer, snack, salad, side, or as a tasty condiment for your main dish. Heart-nurturing fatty acids and the healthful properties of garlic are just a few of the reasons this robust spread (or dip or condiment) is such a popular feature of the Mediterranean diet. Make sure to use good quality olives, not the canned variety!"

 

• Ready In: 15mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Yields: 2 cups

ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup vidalia onion, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 cup sweet red onion, finely chopped
• 1 3⁄4 cups kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 1⁄4 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons red bell peppers or 2 tablespoons orange bell peppers, finely chopped

directions

1. In a small bowl, mix the onions, olives, and capers.
2. Pulse lemon juice, oil, parsley, oregano, lemon zest, and garlic in a food processor for 3 to 5 seconds.
3. Pour over onion-olive mixture and combine with a fork.
4. Place tapenade in a serving bowl, season with pepper to taste, top with chopped peppers, and serve. May be used as a dip for pita, spread on bruschetta or sliced baguette, on top of a mixed greens salad, or as a topping for rice, potato, or pasta.