By Ceci Martinez
Thanksgiving is a great opportunity to prepare dishes that you normally wouldn’t prepare.
Surprise your guests with this fantastico appetizer, a Peruvian tapenade. Tapenade is a French-born spread that consists of pureed olive. It is generally savored on slices of toasted baguettes or crackers and is a terrific spread for sandwiches. This divine and easy recipe has a Latin twist! It has walnuts, red bell pepper and raisins to give it a bit of sweetness. I feel flattered that I am often asked for this recipe wherever I bring it, so here it is. Enjoy it with friends and family as you gather for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Note: This tapenade is wonderful when combined with goat cheese.
It also makes great festive homemade gifts that everyone will enjoy receiving!
PERUVIAN TAPENADE
Prep: 15 minutes / Makes about 1 3/4 cups tapenade
1 1/2 cups pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
2 anchovy fillets
1 garlic, roasted
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup roasted and chopped walnuts or pecans
2-3 tablespoons red bell pepper, finely minced
1/2 cup golden raisins, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Combine the olives, capers, anchovy, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse three times, add olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, mustard, thyme, parsley and process until chunky. Tapenade should not be entirely smooth, should have some texture to it. Transfer the tapenade to a bowl and add chopped walnuts, red bell pepper, raisins and ground pepper and mix well. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, then bring to room temperature before using.
