Sunday, September 12, 2010

Tricolor Tapenade

(It's TRIcolor if you use red pepper and green and black olives, which is what the original recipe calls for; but any pepper and olive combination works - and can be very colorful!)

Tapenade is sometimes called "poor man's caviar." This recipe makes a tasty and colorful appetizer with crackers or toasted bread.

1/2 C finely chopped pepper
1 Tbls olive oil
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1/2 C chopped olives
(sugar?)

Use a food processor or finely dice by hand any combination of green, red, orange or yellow pepper(s). You could also use store bought roasted sweet peppers. Stir in 1 Tbls olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon ground oregano. Spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. (I line mine with aluminum foil for easy clean up!)

Roast the peppers under the broiler for 10-15 minutes or until they start to 'toast' and brown on the tops. Remove from oven. Spoon into serving bowl. If the peppers aren't as sweet as you'd like, stir in a tablespoon of sugar. (I usually do this. It makes a nice contrast with the salty brine of the olives.)

Finely chop olives - use black or pimento stuffed green olives or a combination of both. Add to peppers and stir to combine. Refrigerate; serve cold.

Serve with crackers, bagel chips, toasted thin sliced French bread, etc.

No comments: