Sun-Dried Tapenade

Christmas has rolled around again. This year I was sick until the week before the holiday and did no baking or cooking for people outside my household.

I was healthy enough to supply the potatoes and the tapenade and crostini for the Christmas Eve party my husband’s sister hosts every year. I often get requests for the recipe, and I don’t have a phone to simply take a picture of it and send it. (I share a phone with my husband—no secrets in this relationship—and he is painting a bedroom right now so I’m not going to bother him.) It’s easier for me to say, “Go to my blog and search on tapenade.”

Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade

• 2 oz. Sun-dried tomatoes (unrehydrated)
• 1 ½ teaspoons fresh garlic
• minced ¾ teaspoon fresh rosemary
• minced ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 33 Greek olives, pitted
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until mixture is the texture you require. If you are going to bake on top of fish, process more coarsely. I process it to a mealy texture for topping crostini. Serve at room temperature.

Crostini

Slice fresh baguettes ¼ inch thick and brush both sides with olive oil. Place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet and bake at 450˚F until golden brown. Cool before serving.

Serving Suggestions and Hints:

I present this tapenade with the crostini and cream cheese served separately. You could, however, spread the crostini with cream cheese and tapenade, or just tapenade, and serve as an hors d’oeuvre.

You can substitute fresh for dry or dry for fresh herbs. Just remember, for every tablespoon of fresh herb, the substitution of the dry herb is one teaspoon and vice versa. (I like fresh rosemary and am too cheap to buy it from the store, so I always pot up a rosemary to raise under lights for the winter.)

Buy your olives pitted. It saves a lot of time and tedium. If you must pit olives, a hand-held cherry pitter is a good investment.

You can substitute sun-dried tomatoes in oil for rehydrated dry ones. (I raise and dry my own tomatoes. If you want to do this yourself, see my blog “Drying Cherry Tomatoes.”) Start by adding less olive oil than recommended by the recipe. You can always add more if you think you need it.

I use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe. It should have a green tint and not have any off flavors. Taste your oil before you use it.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Happy New Year, Begonia