Introducing the black diamond of Monaco: Tapenade. She glitters in the night. She belies the briny bite of the absolutely fabulous.

But here’s the thing. She’s also, not so secretly, rustic.

This dip and crostini topper has its origins in the grassy hills of Provence. Love for this treat spills over into Monaco and parts of Italy. While many people pulverize their blend to a paste (with a mortar and pestle or even a food processor), I prefer a rustic, coarse mixture. I like seeing the capers and slices of olives. I like seeing bits of herbs. So all I do is run my knife through the ingredients a few times.

The choice is yours but, either way, this mixture tastes grand – dressed up with cognac, capers, and a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme.

Serve at the beginning of your next garden party, on crusty, toasted baguette, spread on crackers, with cheese as an hors d’ouvre. And be sure to raise a glass to Provence and even sunny Monaco.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup capers
2-4 anchovy fillets
fresh chopped rosemary, to taste (I used about 1/3 of one sprig)
fresh chopped thyme, to taste (I used about 2-3 sprigs)
2 cups oil-cured black olives (the wrinkly ones), pitted
1 Tbsp cognac
cracked pepper, to taste

Method:

Your flight to Monaco is as quick as 1, 2, 3.

#1 Remove the pits from the olives…

2. Give everything a chop (rough or fine).

Start with the anchovies and herbs…

Then the capers…

and the black olives…

3. Mix everything together with a splash of cognac and black pepper.

That’s it!

Give it a taste and add some black pepper and possibly more herbs, if desired.

Serve on top of toasted French bread.

Glorious!

Good enough for a gamble.

Casino of Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Photo by Berthold Werner.

Enjoy!

Cognac n' Herb Tapenade

Votes: 1 Rating: 1 You: Rate this recipe!

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This dip and crostini topper has its origins in the grassy hills of Provence. Love for this treat spills over into Monaco and parts of Italy. While many people pulverize their blend to a paste (with a mortar and pestle or even a food processor), I prefer a rustic, coarse mixture. I like seeing the capers and slices of olives. I like seeing bits of herbs. So all I do is run my knife through the ingredients a few times. The choice is yours but, either way, this mixture tastes grand – dressed up with cognac, capers, and a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme. Serve at the beginning of your next garden party, on crusty, toasted baguette, spread on crackers, with cheese as an hors d’ouvre. And be sure to raise a glass to Provence and even sunny Monaco.

• CourseAppetizers & Snacks
• Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Potluck Friendly
• Food TypeDips, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetables

Servings	Prep Time
8 people	10 minutes

Servings Prep Time 8 people 10 minutes

Cognac n' Herb Tapenade Votes: 1 Rating: 1 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe This dip and crostini topper has its origins in the grassy hills of Provence. Love for this treat spills over into Monaco and parts of Italy. While many people pulverize their blend to a paste (with a mortar and pestle or even a food processor), I prefer a rustic, coarse mixture. I like seeing the capers and slices of olives. I like seeing bits of herbs. So all I do is run my knife through the ingredients a few times. The choice is yours but, either way, this mixture tastes grand – dressed up with cognac, capers, and a sprinkling of rosemary and thyme. Serve at the beginning of your next garden party, on crusty, toasted baguette, spread on crackers, with cheese as an hors d’ouvre. And be sure to raise a glass to Provence and even sunny Monaco. CourseAppetizers & Snacks Lifestyle5-ingredients or less, Gluten-Free, Potluck Friendly Food TypeDips, Sasha's Favorite Recipes, Vegetables Servings Prep Time 8 people 10 minutes Servings Prep Time 8 people 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup capers
• 2-4 anchovies
• 1/3 sprig rosemary , freshly chopped (or to taste)
• 2-3 sprigs thyme , freshly chopped (or to taste
• 2 cups oil-cured black olives , pitted
• 1 Tbsp Cognac
• cracked black pepper , to taste

Servings: people

Units:MetricUS Imperial

Instructions

1. Give everything a chop (rough or fine, depending on your preference).
2. Combine with a splash of cognac and black pepper.
3. Give it a taste and add some black pepper and possibly more herbs, if desired.
4. Serve on top of toasted French bread.