artichoke tapenade.

Where did March go? Well, I know that at least part of mine went to Albuquerque for a conference. I had looked forward to some food tourism, but...let's just say most of my meals weren't really worthy of being commemorated in any way. Instead:


Now happily back home, I'm catching up on my backlog of food-to-be-blogged. First up: an artichoke tapenade adapted from this one at Smitten Kitchen. I added some zing with lemon and some freshness with parsley, and it's deliciously addictive. The measurements are all approximate, so you can also play with the proportions to suit your taste.

(*Disclaimer about lighting: when I can, I conduct my food photoshoots in natural light, since the lighting in my apartment at night is rather yellow. This isn't, sadly, a dish that photographs particularly well at any time. But it looks fine in person and tastes even better!)


Artichoke Tapenade

1 15-oz. can of artichoke hearts, drained and broken up a bit
1-2 tbsp. capers
1 c. green olives
1 clove garlic, chopped roughly
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice from half a lemon OR about 1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste (Hint: add salt gradually, since the capers make it fairly salty anyway.)
Scant 1/4 c. olive oil (Use more or less depending on the texture you want.)

1. Blend all ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Taste at this point to see if you want to adjust the proportions for any ingredients.

2. With the processor running, pour oil in a steady stream, as you would with pesto. Process more or less to get the desired texture. I like it on the coarse side.


This will feed anywhere from 2 to 6 people, depending on their love for artichokes. (Mine is intense.) It's perfect on bread, but I'm also looking forward to trying it on pasta.