When we first read this recipe, we thought it was a little different to include cashews in an olive tapenade. We thought that the olives would make up the tapenade, and traditionally, there is a combination of fish, cheese and capers that make up the texture of the spread. Cashews gave this dish a lovely, mealy texture that really made it stand out at as a dip. With crackers, this was a very appealing spread!
Veffa is so well known for being a classic cook. Most of her recipes are traditional, as are her methods. We know the recipe was solid, time tested, and generally well-liked. So, when we saw a tapenade receipt that did not include cheese or anchovies, we were thrilled. We code to make this with green olives, but know that we could use sliced black olives as well. Combining the two made a very unappealing colour, so we could not proceed with it. The green olives left a hue was light enough to be attractive by itself. You can experiment for yourself to see what you like, green, black, or a combination. Since this is made in a food processor, it is quick and easy to put together, and you can spend the extra time experimenting with the different colours or combinations. This recipe makes dip that will feed 6 to 8 people comfortably as an appetizer.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
1/2 cup cashews
3 1/2 cups sliced, pitted olives
3 TBSP oil
1 to 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 clove garlic
A Food Processor
The directions are simple enough, since there are only three steps, we thought we would fill the page with pictures so you can see that you are doing the right things. First, grind the cashews in a food processor. We used salted cashews, but you could choose the unsalted ones, too. Grind the cashews so they still have some texture to them instead of making them a complete paste.
Add the garlic to the food processor. Rinse the olives with water to remove some of the salt. Add them to the food processor. Olives become very salty, or if you have some that are a little older and very soft, this is the time to use them! They get mixed into the cashew chunks which neutralize some of the salt, too.
Now, add the other ingredients to the food processor. That is, add the oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, and garlic . Pulse the food processor several times to get an even consistency. You do want some texture to this paste dish, and since the food processor is doing the work, you should stick to the pulse function to assure the texture remains.
Check the seasonings. Add more vinegar, oil, or garlic as needed. You want to make sure that you can taste the olives, not only the vinegar flavour.
Serve with crackers, pita bread, or use as a sandwich spread. It took five minutes to make, and will take five minutes to eat it, too! We had several people taste this recipe for us before posting it here. Each one commented on the level of salt in this, including statements like, "It's surprisingly NOT salty!" and "I thought it would be too dry for crackers." and, our favourite, "Love this and need to have the recipe!" Yes, we will invite those people again to taste our recipes!
"No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us."
1 John 4:12-19
Source of quote: http://theodorakis.net/orthodoxquotescomplete.html
This is yummy!
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