Olive Tapenade!

Ever since I had an absolutely spectacular tapenade by the brilliant chef Gabrielle, I've been dying to make one for myself.

So I made three.

On day three of tapenading, I would be lying if I said my stomach wasn't in a crazy place right now, but how could I say no?

I love tapenades. They are beautiful dishes as far as presentation goes at a party, they're great as a complement for goat cheese and crostini if you're neither vegan nor gluten-free (both of which I am, so I just have to reflect on crostini as a beautiful memory)...

My favorite thing about a good tapenade is that it celebrates and reflects whatever season it's made in. In the summer, the fresh chopped herbs, tomatoes, and roasted bell peppers all give the dish a lightness and a freshness that characterizes the dip.

In the winter, the smokiness from the sun-dried tomatoes, dried currants, and toasted nuts give it a heartier, warmer flavor.

Here is a photo of my tapenade, just before mixing:

You can see in the upper left-hand corner the sun-dried herb-soaked tomatoes, below that the walnuts, in the center the chopped garlic and fresh thyme, and at last on the bottom, three different kinds of olives previously prepared in red wine vinegar, dried herbs, and bay leaves.

I've already mentioned in the "seasons" section above some great add-ins for tapenades, but here is the recipe I developed:

Olive Walnut Tapenade

2-4 cloves of garlic minced

1 1/2 cups chopped assorted olives (ideally already seasoned)

1 cup toasted chopped walnuts (purchase raw and roast yourself for 10 minutes at 375. nuts that have already been toasted by purchase date are typically rancid)

4-5 slices sun-ripened tomatoes (I prefer the ones soaked in oil, but if you need to rehydrate them yourself, follow instructions on package)

2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme

4-5 tbsp. olive oil

Optional:

Capers

Anchovies

Roasted Bell Peppers

Dried Currants

Goat Cheese or Feta Cheese