This weekend, I’ll be hosting a number of my mom’s side of the family for great food (quinoa tabouli!), great games (badminton!) and great conversation. It’s been a year since I’ve seen many of these amazing peeps so it’s about time we make an occasion …
This morning, I broke out my mini-greenhouse and got my garden seedlings planted! That means that spring is here (along with allergies, ugh…) and now I’m patiently waiting for the real weather warm-up to happen so I can play in the dirt everyday and enjoy harvesting …
So many delicious things come in small little bowls. Olives are one of my favorite snacks and I put them in sauces and dishes quite often since they have healthy fats and taste so darn good! I use olives and their brine as a salt replacement in soups on occasion for a unique flavor or I top them with a spoonful of olive tapenade as a garnish. Olive tapenade is a marvelous multipurpose medley of salty, lemony goodness.
For this kalamata green olive tapenade, I mixed a variety of green olives with kalamata as they each have a unique flavor. Blended together, they are simply heaven! Combined with a touch of lemon, capers and parsley, a mixed olive tapenade is an easy go-to dip for veggies or a spread on crackers or sandwiches.
I recently found a super fun recipe book called Not Your Mama’s Canning Book which has me all inspired to venture out beyond the typical jams and tomato sauces. I’m totally going to try canning this olive tapenade for easy gift giving and ready-to-go, no prep appetizers!! Wish me luck 😉
