Tapenade

The key to this recipe is rinsing the kalamatas and the anchovies really well. To the person who said it doesn't look pretty: I suggest that you present it with a thin layer of bread crumbs sprinkled over the top of it. Or, use cookie-cutters (stars, hearts, lighthouses, whatever) to cut shapes out of mozzarella or provelone slices to place on top of it. More generally, I think this is better suited to being offered as a canape (read: served already spread on the slices of bread). I agree that the general public might not choose to test a bowl of black mushy stuff. Plus, a little goes a long way; someone unfamiliar with tapenade might try a huge heaping tablespoon on a tiny piece of bread and be overwhelmed.

Enjoyed this very much, have made several times with a little change, I use 1-1/2 cups Kalamata Olives, 1-1/2 cups canned black olives (cuts the saltiness), about 1 tbsp of lemon juice and 1 tsp of lemon zest, good dash of black pepper and follow the rest of the ingredients, coarse chop in food processor, slowly adding the Olive Oil till the right consistency, and serve on French bread or crackers. Keeps well. Stir & allow to approach room temp before serving.

This was VERY yummy and EASY to make. I took the suggestion of another reviewer and did it in a processor. It is great as a spread on a sandwich or on a cracker. Don't let the anchovies sway you to not make.....you can't even taste them. This will become a staple, Thanks, Jim!

added some good parmesan cheese and fresh italian parsley and oregano. i also used anchovy paste. it was delicious!!

This is a great recipe, however, it was to puree'd by the time you get the oil added in. The second time I made this I used my food processor and added the garlic, olives, anchovies and capers and omitted the rest of the ingredients (thyme, rosemary, lemon juice and oil) and we liked it a lot more. It was more of the original italian tapenade without being overwhelmed with the herbs and lemon juice. Being able to omit the oil was a bonus! If you like it thin then Jim's recipe is ideal for mixing with hot pasta!

The real thing. However, it is greatly improved if you double the garlic, and use half Kalamata and half Nicoise (or picholine) olives. Excellent!

Fabulous! I added additional fresh herbs - parsley, basil, fresh grated parmesan with a dollop of good olive oil in the food processor. Excellent taste. I served on small toasts with a italian parsley leaf and small square of roasted red pepper as garnish - beautiful presentation!

Excellent recipe for an appetizer! I broiled pieces of pita bread sprinkled with olive oil, garlic powder, and salt until golden brown. It accompanies the recipe very well!

This was delicious and very easy to make. I brought it to a party and it was demolished! The only suggestion I have is to use a food processor not blender.

This was pretty good. The anchovies took away from the olive taste and really added more salt then necessary. I substituted sun dried tomatoes for the capers. Big hit for people who like olives.

While the flavor wasn't bad, the dip doesn't look so appetizing. As a result, a lot of my guests just skipped over it. Most of them had never heard of Tapenade & were not moved to taste it. Threw most of it out. Big waste.

I tried this with what I had on hand, only had regular black olives and green pimento stuffed olives. I then used it as a base for an artichoke pasta salad and it was fantastic.

Simply delicious, I've been looking for a recipe since I ate it in Paris and this one hit the spot. I ate it on homemade french bread, with roasted bell peppers and goat cheese and it made the sandwich!

I followed this recipe to a tee (except I couldn't find pitted olives where I live and so had to pit a jar myself) The tapenade was bitter when finished. I wonder whether style, type and brand of olives makes a difference? So, I added a jar of black olives for balance, 1/4 cup of roasted red peppers, salt and a bit of sugar. Oh...and some parmesan cheese. The flavor was better. The flavor really gets better after a day, so don't be afraid to make this ahead of time. I wondered if my guests would like it. I served it with crostini and they loved it.

my husband loves this recipe. It's really easy and makes a great appetizer.

This recipe makes a fantastic tapenade. I used anchovy paste and dried herbs because I already had them on hand. I'm sure fresh herbs make it even better. I served this with a crusty baguette and had leftovers to snack on for a few days. It was even good on saltine crackers and kept well in the refrigerator.

This is excellent. I skip the lemon and add more garlic. Also pulse the olives in a food processer. I call it Italian Caviar. For those that don't know, this is served as an appetizer in many Italian Restaurants. Served with Crostini or hot Italian bread. Can't find pitted Kalamata then it is easy to pit. With the flat side of a large knife smash the olive and the pits come out easily. Another hint. Fill small jars and give as gifts with a loaf of baguette.

I always love a great olive tapenade and this is one. I choose a olive mixyure; black, large green and kalamatas.(Its a colorthing for me) Also added some feta cheese as I feel the combination goes really well.

Great stuff. Pretty close to an imported French one my Mom used to buy. So many uses. Great on ham, poultry (even some firm oily fish) or just cheese (cheve?) sandwiches.Makes a great pasta sauce with parmesan, even a bit of cream. One drawback; my wife doesn't leave much for me! Also try some red pepper flakes and a good grade of fresh cracked pepper with it

This recipe achieves a great rich olive flavor. The anchovies are not overpowering. It is simple mixing, and it gets great reviews.

I found it good, it cleans the palette before the main course. But a little too bland for the kids. Great with a slice of garlic toast or two.

We enjoyed this a lot. We unfortunately can't get anchovy fillets here but managed to find anchovy paste and used it instead. Thanks for a great recipe!

This was a huge hit at the company pool party. I served it with paprika pita chips. It took less than 10 minutes to make, and called for ingredients I usually keep on hand.

A flavour explosion!!!

OUTSTANDING! I really enjoyed this recipe. I did add a few things...One can of Black Olives, fresh grated parm. cheese and we loe spicey food, so I added some ground red pepper for just a little bit of a kick. I will be making this one again!!! It was sooooo easy! Thanks

I was not prepared for the anchovies....so once I made the tapenade, I could taste nothing else. I will try it again without them. I also think I would prefer black olives, green olives and just the garlic, spices and capers with a little less olive oil.

Delicious! On first taste it was a little too lemony but after a couple hours in the fridge it was perfect. I took it to a party and everyone loved it! I will definitely try this again. I should mention though that I used an extra clove of garlic and I didn't have fresh rosemary (and couldn't find any) so I used some fresh oregano.

This was a lot of work - and while my guests liked it - I did not. Will not make again.

Seemed awfully salty, even though I didn't add any. Next time I don't think I'll put it out as a spread, but instead put a small amount as a topping on bread or something. A little goes a long way.

My wife and I really enjoyed the Tapenade on some fresh French bread. Our seven-year-old daughter tried and loved it.

Thank you! I've been looking for this for so long!!!

So good..I used half kalamata, half canned black olives, and left out the anchovies. Definitely better the second day, especially with the addition of some crumbled feta. Yum! Thanks.

excellent tapenade! because i like "chunkier" dips, i chopped everything instead of using a blender. it turned out very well. make sure you rinse the anchovy fillets very well to decrease the salt. i also used half black olives and half kalmata olives to add extra color and a new flavor. a great recipe!

I made this for Christmas gifts and put them in lovely jars and delivered with fresh baked bread. It was unique and fun. We began adding and mixing a number of other things, like sun dried tomatoes. I recommend it for parties as well as gifts.

I used black and green olives and capers. I didn't have anchovy fillets, but a great substitute if you want the flavor is a little bit of tiparos or patis (different names for same thing). That's the clear fish sauce one uses in Thai or Filipino recipes. It's made from anchovies. You can buy tiparos at any of your larger grocers. tasted great on top of cream cheese on a toasted English muffin. :)

Very disappointed in this. I have never had tapenade before so maybe it just isn't for me. I am a huge fan of kalamata olives so I thought this would be great. I couldn't taste anything besides the olives though. Seemed like a waste of money and time to mix all those things together to only taste olives. Was also extra salty even though I rinsed the olives and sardines.

To achieve nicely chopped olives & avoid a sludge appearance, I put rinsed pitted olives - one can at a time - in the Ninja blender container with enough plain water to 2/3rds full so the olives could move freely, then pulsed the power button just until the olives were rough-chopped, drained them in a sieve, dumped them in a large mixing bowl and repeated the process using 3 cans green olives & 2 cans black olives. Added chopped roasted red peppers, capers, garlic, thyme, oregano, Dijon mustard, S&P, lime juice, a small squirt of Sriracha and oil to nearly cover it. (1/3 EVOO to 2/3 canola since EVOO solidifies under refrigeration and I wanted to largely avoid that.) Refrigerated several hours to let the flavors marry. Liking it as a topper on broiled salmon as well as zucchini 'noodles' but I could eat this stuff spread on a flip flop. Tapenade is definitely a fave. (c;

Really delicious! To save a little $$ I used a cheaper brand of kalamata and regretted it - too salty. Rinsing the anchovies and olives is a must for this. Serving some on toast points for ppl. to get the idea of how much to use is a good idea too. Gave the recipe to two of my friends the first time I made it, I was worried they would be afraid to eat it from the appearance - just needed a little nudge. ;)

I liked this on the first try, made exactly as the recipie stated but I didn't like it enough to make it again as is. Next time I will try a little less lemon juice (made it a little watery) and maybe a combo of black and Kalamata olives (I used just Kalamata this time). Just wasn't quite what I was looking for.

7-1-11: Excellent. Find something to serve this on.

This was a hit before our dinner with friends last evening. I served it with one of those small sliced party loaves of rye bread. And best of all, so EASY to make!

I used blood orange infused olive oil instead of the regulat o.o and omitted the lemon...very very good...

Very, very good. I don't care for fishy tastes so I eliminated the anchovies. I also stopped at 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Finally, like other reviewers I was concerned about there being too much kalamata, so I cut it with half kalamata/half black olives. Wonderful.

YUM! I made this for a Saturday afternoon snack. It took no time. I used regular black olives (didn't have kalamatas and they can be expensive) and omitted the anchovies. It was still a little salty. I would probably cut down on the capers next time. That said, my three year old couldn't get enough. I served it with blue corn tortillas and I loved it.

Wanted to use up some items in the fridge that neede to go. Didn't have enough kalamata olives so added some black olives to make up the difference. Also had anchovy paste, worked out well!

Very tasty and never had anything quite like it. The garlic was a little strong so will cut down to 1/2 garlic clove next time.

Great recipe, but beware--this makes a lot of tapenade. It would be great for a party.

This was too much work for a just OK payoff. I don't think I'll use it again.

loving it now!! I read a lot of other reviews and people complained about the look of it, so instead of using blender/food processor, i just simply chopped everything small and aggresively mixed together. And if you look at the picture it does not look blended, also the white looks like feta cheese so added a little of that at the end and even better. I had to use a 2/3 black and 1/3 green olives as that is what was in the fridge, and i thought was great but i do have kalamata on the shopping list now

Loved! I made this for friends as an app with crostini and they ate so much we barely touched dinner.

This was fantastic! I use half Kalamata half regular black olives to cut the saltiness although tapenade is supposed to be salty!

Skipped the anchovies but still liked the recipe!

All recipes are subject to individual taste. That adds to the joy of cooking. Sodium is of big concern in our household. We did not add any anchovies, nor salt or pepper to taste. I did add black olives vs. full dose of Kalamata. I used little olive oil, and like others, chopped this in my food processor vs. blender. We preferred more of a chunky dip vs. a paste. Individual preference. We did add Feta cheese (as pictured, but not noted in recipe), as well as a few chopped Roma Tomatoes for color.

Made as written. Tasted, tastes, great!

Wonderful but be careful adding the lemon. It will overpower the other flavors. Loved having both rosemary and thyme.