Thursday, October 27, 2011

Olive Tapenade


Olives have always intrigued me in that they contain such an incredibly strong, salty flavor in such a small, oval-shaped morsel—and they're even hollow, leaving even less space for flavor, but it doesn't seem to matter. Green, black or kalamata, I can't help but to indulge in at least five (okay—15) olives each time I open a jar, and it's no surprise that dirty martinis are my cocktail of choice. 

On our first meeting of Expressions in Food Writing, each student was asked to bring a dish to share with the rest of the class. While each dish was uniquely delicious, the one that I couldn't help sampling second (and third and forth) helpings of was the olive tapenade. Served in a white porcelain dish, the colorful tapenade contrasted beautifully, consisting of a medley of diced ingredients. The crackers, presented on a wooden serving tray, were textured with poppy and sesame seeds, giving them a grainy appearance.

Upon scooping a spoonful of tapenade onto a cracker and taking the first bite, I discovered that the tapenade was chilled, and the crackers were even crispier than they appeared. The brininess of the green olives, the tartness of the lemon juice and the acidity of the tomatoes were well paired by the subdued wheaty flavor of the savory baked crackers.

This salty snack would most certainly be a popular addition to a social gathering at any time of the year. However, it's the delicate crunch of the harvest grain crackers and the multicolored hues of the tapenade that absolutely reflect the season's foliage and make this dish an ideal autumn appetizer.

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