A classic tapenade usually consists of black olives, capers and anchovies mixed in varying proportions. I added some seeds to this pungent mix, to both lighten taste & colour and to add a dose of healthy omega 3 & 6s. My seeds were a mixture of flax (linseed), pumpkin, sunflower and sesame. The seeds diluted the pungent tapenade from a concentrated spread to the perfect base for a dip or sauce. I stirred a good dollop of seed tapenade and some semi dried cherry tomatoes into hot pasta for a quick end of week supper. Ground flax seed is really rather gloopy and the paste will need some thinning.
Having just missed the deadline for this week’s Presto Pasta Night I am sending this to fellow Londoner, Abby at Eat The Right Stuff for next week’s round up.
Four Seed Tapenade (Makes pasta sauce for 4)
2oz black olives (stoned)
1oz seeds (I used roughly equal quantities of flax, pumpkin, sunflower & sesame)
About 8 anchovy fillets (I used a 50g tin)
1 oz capers
1 small clove garlic
Juice and zest of one lemon
Olive oil
Blitz all the ingredients either in the small bowl of your food processor or with a stick blender. I added the oil from my anchovies, but if you prefer drain them and add an extra glug of olive oil. If necessary thin the paste with a little oil or, if bothered about the fat content, water.
I can think of several variations of this, using either parmesan or miso in place of the anchovies,
Love the idea of adding seeds to tapenade. I bet hempseed would work well too.
Hemp seed would be lovely, and darker too. I had a sunflower seed tapenade in France the other week which gave me the idea. That and the huge bag of omega mix in the cupboard.
this looks gorgeous helen – reading through the list of ingredients in your tapenade is making my mouth water. thanks for sharing with ppn.
what a fantastaic tapenade. I’m definitely going to try your recipe. the addition of all those seeds…brilliant! Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.
I love tapenade so am very drawn to this – sounds lovely
I would never have thought to put seeds in a tapenade, but like you mentioned, it would make the taste not so strong for a sauce or dip, besides being very healthy.
Looks absolutely delicious the tapenade, great presentation, would love to have some right now…really would.