Recipe for Green Olive Tapenade from Provence

Olive trees have grown in Provence since at least the time of the Greeks, roughly 600 BC. Olive oil was a prized commodity during the Roman era. At 4,500 tons per year, France is not considered a large global producer. However, the quality is considered to be excellent.

The Provence Gourmet shares his recipe for a typical Provencal green olive tapenade to serve with aperitifs or to flavour the main dish. If you are interested in cooking classes and learning some traditional Provencal meals, contact Gilles Conchy to learn about his classes.

Image Credits: All photos were provided by and published with the permission of Provence Gourmet

Green olive Tapenade

Provence Gourmet

Tapenade is an easy condiment to prepare and delicious as an appetizer or seasoning.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Servings 6 People

Ingredients

  

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• 2 cups green olives pitted
• 2 oz pine nuts lightly grilled
• 1 handful fresh basil
• 2 tsp capers
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• pepper

Instructions

 

• Taste an olive, if you find it to be too salty then soak the olives in a bowl of fresh water for an hour.
• In a mixer, add the drained olives and capers, the slightly grilled pine seeds, a handful worth of fresh basil leaves, olive oil and pepper.
• Mix the ingredients well, if the mixture is too dry add a little more oil.
• Serve the tapenade as a starter on grilled toasts beside a seasonal lettuce or as an aperitif patiently waiting for the main dish.

Notes

Note:  some recipes call for adding some canned tuna as well for a slightly different taste.

Keyword Capers, Condiment, Olives

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Olive Oil History

It’s said that the goddess Isis gifted the olive tree to Osiris, who handed it to the Egyptians with the knowledge of how to get its precious oil. As a result, we’ve been using olive oil for over 8,000 years, lighting our lamps across the eons, anointing our kings in succession, healing our mortal wounds, cleansing our bodies and nourishing our flesh. Robust and ancient, the olive is our faithful ally. A symbol of resilience, the olive tree will survive and keep growing if uprooted and turned on its’ head! With an average lifespan of 500 years, the olive tree can live several thousands of years. Today, in Bethlehem stands the oldest known olive tree, Al Badawi – The Great One. It’s estimated to be between 4 and 5,000 years old.

Read: Excellent Olive Oil from the Var