Black or Green Olive Tapenade

Appears in Chef John Besh’s cookbook, Cooking From the Heart: My Favorite Lessons Learned Along the Way.  Read our review.

Note: Recommended as topping for paillettes.

Chef Besh: "There are many styles and colors of tapenade spread, depending, of course, on the olives you use. I love picholine, Lucques, and even the tiny black olives of Nice, but most often I use oil-cured black olives and, always, the defining capers."

Yield: Makes about 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups pitted olives

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 filets salt-cured anchovies

1 tbsp. capers

leaves from 1 sprig fresh thyme

1/2 cup olive oil

Method: Combine the olives, garlic, anchovies, capers, and thyme in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the olives are coarsely chopped. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until it is all absorbed.