10 Tempting Ways to Serve Olive Tapenade

If you love olives and sun-dried tomatoes, you will love the delightful fusion in this great recipe for a quick batch of tapenade with 10 exciting ways to serve this luscious nibble.

I have been in a recipe mood lately, can you tell? I will be getting back to the garden topics soon. Stay tuned! Meanwhile, enjoy the recipe and serving ideas for this scrumptious tapenade.

Sun-dried Tomato & Olive Tapenade

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup organic Sun-dried Tomatoes packed in oil, drained (reserve the oil)
• 1/2 cup organic Black Olives
• 1/2 cup organic Green Olives
• 2 tbsp organic fresh Basil, rough chop
• 3-5 organic cloves Garlic (amount to your taste preference)
• 1/2 cup organic Capers
• 1 1/2 tsp Parmesan Cheese, grated (optional)
• Salt & Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Place all ingredients in a food processor. Add 2 - 3 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes; process until desired consistency. Olive tapenade is meant to be chunky, not smooth and creamy.

10 Exciting Serving Suggestions

1. Stuffed Tomatoes

Scoop out cherry tomatoes, fill with tapenade and top with crumbled goat cheese.

2. Deviled Eggs

Perk up deviled eggs by adding a few spoonfuls of tapenade to your favorite recipe.

3. Cream Cheese & Celery

Mix 2 to 3 tablespoons tapenade with 8 ounces softened cream cheese. Fill celery sticks with mixture.

4. Omelets

Tapenade makes an excellent filling for omelets. You can also combine cheeses, veggies or meats.

5. Lasagna

Spread a layer of tapenade on your next lasagna or add it to your sauce.

6. Sandwich Salads

Mix about a 1/4 cup of tapenade into one pound of egg, ham, tuna, chicken or seafood salad.

7. Muffuletta

Mix together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup tapenade, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. Serve as a topping on Italian subs or another favorite sandwich.

8. Pizza

Dress your next pizza with the unique taste of tapenade alone with cheese, or in combination with sauce or your other preferred toppings.

9. Meatloaf

Next time you make your favorite meatloaf, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of tapenade to 1 to 2 pounds of meat mixture.

10. Bruschetta

Toss some chopped tomatoes, crumbled feta cheese, tapenade and chopped fresh basil together for a tasty bruschetta.

Bonus Ideas: Try some tapenade in your potato salad, pasta salad and potato pancakes!

Do you have an appetizing idea for serving up some delicious fresh olive tapenade? Please share your recipe ideas with us.