Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade
I first made this tapenade for my sourdough bread class in Chef school. It was the end of the term and the students were asked to bring in a dish as part of a Smörgåsbord to pair with the breads. A lot of people opted for various cold cuts and cheeses, but I wanted to make something vegan to be inclusive to all of the students in the class. I pretty much looked in my pantry to see what ingredients I had available and thought of this tapenade. At first I didn't think I was creating much, but it tasted amazing after I made it and it has been a staple at my dinner parties ever since.
Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade
This tapenade is heavily based on personal tastes. The three main ingredients are sun-dried tomatoes, olives and almonds, which can be adjusted based on your tastes. I lean more towards the tomato side, but it also depends on what I have available in the pantry. The garlic is fairly potent but I love a strong garlic flavour. The garlic requires at least thirty minutes before it fully infuses with the rest of the tapenade.
Ingredients
Preparation
- Step 1
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Toast the slivered almonds on a tray in a 350°F (175°C) oven for five minutes or until golden.
- Step 2
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In a food processor, process the almonds until fine and mealy.
- Step 3
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Chop the the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and garlic into a rough dice. Then process them in the food processor with a bit of olive oil until it becomes a smooth paste. Add more olive oil if necessary.
- Step 4
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In a bowl, mix the tapenade mixture with the ground almonds to create a rough paste.
- Step 5
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Cover for thirty minutes prior to serving to allow the garlic flavour to permeate through. Serve with warm bread.