Olive Tapenade

By The Gracious Vegan

I like the way the California olives cut into the sharpness of the Greek olives--I've found that this mildness makes the spread more appealing to non-hard-core Greek olive lovers. You have to meet them where they are. If you want it sharper, add 1-2 Tablespoons drained capers. See my post Vegan Pizza Like You Wouldn’t Believe for many ideas on pizza crusts, sauces, toppings, and cooking tips. Tapenade makes a great base for pizza.

Makes about 1.5 cups

Use a food processor to mince the garlic.

• 1 large garlic clove, peeled

Add remaining ingredients and process until nearly smooth (or to your desired texture).

• 1 + 1/3 cup (5 ounces) pitted Kalamata olives

• 3/4 cup (4 ounces) pitted California black olives

• 1/2 Tablespoon tahini

• 1/8 teaspoon each dried oregano, basil, rosemary, and thyme

• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Taste. If you want the tapenade to be sharper-tasting, add some capers. (And next time use more Greek olives and fewer California olives.)

• Optional: 1 Tablespoon capers (or more)

Scrape mixture into a container. Let sit 20 minutes before using. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Timing: Very fast -- 5-10 minutes

Gluten-free