Citrus-Olive Tapenade

I’ve never met an olive I didn’t like, but I accidentally married a guy who is not a fan of olives. How does that happen? But even he liked this tapenade, so that has to tell you something. The citrus zest, spices, and just a hint of heat give this tapenade just enough zing to make it special.

We had it spread on flatbread over the course of a few days. The citrus flavor will increase as the tapenade ages. Whether that is desirable depends on how much you like citrus zest, but for us, it was not a bad thing at all. If you like a mild citrus flavor, make it the same day you serve it. If you want a more robust citrus flavor, make it a couple of days ahead.

This Citrus-Olive Tapenade is a little different from the traditional French tapenade I always prepare for family and receptions. It’s very easy to prepare and in my kitchen there are always all the ingredients, as I’m considered a spice-and-herb collector.

Like in many recipes with citrus, here too, the size and quality of the fruit were not given; it’s known that there are many kinds of lemons and oranges—their sizes are not the same, and the quality of the zest is different in every region and season. Now, during the winter in our region, the citrus is very large and heavy and has a nice zest that is very tasty. I’m sure that during the summer, I’ll need 2 lemons for the same recipe, and the zest will be drier with a bitter taste. I think that in these technological times when people can read the same recipe all over the world, it’s important to give precise quantities of fruit or vegetables. So, since the citrus zests were great, they gave me a little more than a cup of spread.

I used the tapenade as suggested, with chicken parts but without feta. It was served on pasta mixed with zucchini, and we liked it very much. I tried a little on bruschetta, but it was less interesting. It’s much better on the chicken.

I made this tapenade in about 20 minutes and tasted a little on a cracker. The olives, orange zest, and fennel seeds play off each other perfectly. I decided to use it as part of a pasta dish for dinner. I deconstructed the serving suggestion of chicken breasts and feta by adding cooked chicken, artichokes, and cherry tomatoes to pasta, and mixing in the tapenade. Each plate was given a healthy dose of feta cheese at the end. It was delicious.

This is quite good! I like the citrus in here a lot. I didn’t have fresh rosemary, and I think that would be lovely here. The only thing I didn’t love was the fennel seeds. First, I’d recommend crushing those, otherwise, you might still have some whole seeds left, especially if you are like me and prefer your tapenade with a bit more texture rather than a paste.

I am not sure what it is exactly, but I think I’d leave them out next time. Also worth noting is that I didn’t have a chili, so I added a little crushed red pepper. That worked. What I love the most about this recipe is how versatile it is. I served it with crackers, and I had it with chicken. Both were great.

What a lovely, easy, and versatile tapenade recipe! The flavor is bright and briny, and there are so many ways it could be utilized: as a dip or spread on a baguette or crackers, with crudité, or as an accompaniment to almost any protein or vegetable.

I served it atop sous vide Steelhead trout with roasted carrots and fennel, and it was just perfect. It’s just the ticket with something a little rich and fatty. I will try it next stuffed under the skin of a chicken breast and roasted. I used Castelvetrano olives which I just love and would highly recommend.

I didn’t end up adding any salt after tasting the finished product. Also, I only needed two tablespoons of olive oil. After adding that amount, it came together yet still had a bit of texture from the olives. It yielded about a cup of tapenade. This is my favorite kind of recipe: one that delivers maximum flavor with minimal effort. If you love green olives, you will certainly be satisfied with this beautiful recipe.

There was once a small cafe near our home that served a green olive tapenade with a homemade baguette. It was delicious, and I’ve never been able to recreate it. The owners of the cafe retired and moved to the South Pacific, so I haven’t had it in years.

This recipe comes as close as any I’ve tried. I used castelvetrano olives, 2 cloves of garlic, and about 1-1/2 or 2 teaspoons of lemon and orange zest. I stopped slightly short of “paste” in the food processor since paste is not my favorite texture. It yielded about 1 cup finished tapenade. It did not require additional salt and pepper.

We tried it with grilled chicken breast. My hubby thought the fennel was a little strong, I thought it was perfect. Hubs also said he’d eat it on a cracker, and it probably wouldn’t be a terrible adjunct to a fruit and cheese plate.

If you buy tapenade at your grocery store, as I do, this will look familiar but may taste unique, thanks to the addition of citrus. The recipe is quick and easy, and your guests will be impressed! We served this on roast pork in small dollops. Leftovers – there were plenty – went on hot dogs and in pasta sauce. If that’s not versatile, I don’t know what is.