Anyone who knows me knows that I love to entertain. If I like you, you’re invited to my house. I love to have a handful of simple elegant appetizers up my sleeve in case we end up at my place.
Okay, that ended up sounding racier than it actually is.
All joking aside, in the last year, I’ve hosted a wedding reception, a chocolate party, several cooking parties, a Latin-themed Thanksgiving, and recently a celebration on what would have been my father’s 68th birthday. This weekend, I am co-hosting a party for my brother’s big 2-9! I am telling you, I love parties.
But sometimes, get togethers are not so planned. Or, maybe they are, but still who doesn’t love a simple appetizer, anyway?
This one can be on the table in 25 minutes. Most of that time is just soaking the figs- so you’re just chatting away, pouring wine, and being the ebullient host or hostess that you are- because I know you’re ebullient!
Speaking of racy parties (or not) and ebullient hosts, let’s talk about figs. What is sexier than a fig? Ripe, bursting with pink flesh and seeds that go “pop”! Unfortunately, the fig season seems to be winding down right now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy them. In this tapenade, briny kalamata olives are softened by the sweetness of dried figs made succulent again with the help of sauvignon blanc.
Serve this tapenade with artisan bread, crisp rice crackers, salty manchego cheese, apples, walnuts, and of course a glass of crisp sauvignon blanc.
Note: this is addictive and I will totally forgive you if you skip the party and just make a giant vat of this for yourself.
PS: don’t forget the wine.
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INGREDIENTS FIG & OLIVE TAPENADE
- 1 cup kalamata olives- pitted
- 1 cup dried black mission figs- quartered and stemmed
- juice of ½ half of of an organic lemon
- zest of one organic lemon
- 1 cup sauvignon blanc
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
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INSTRUCTIONS FIG & OLIVE TAPENADE
- Soak quartered figs in wine for at least a half hour and up to 2 hours
- Drain figs reserving the liquid
- Add figs, olives, lemon juice, ¾ of the lemon zest, and about 1 tablespoon of the wine to the bowl of your food processor and pulse until blended.
- Add more wine if the mixture is too hard to blend. Do not over process. It should still have texture.
- Finally pulse in olive oil.
- Put into a pretty serving dish and garnish with the rest of the lemon zest.
- This tapenade tastes great right away, but even better the next day.
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I just had a friend tweet me this post because she knows how much I love figs. The combo of the kalamatas and figs is one I wouldn't have thought of, so I'm glad you did!
Oh I hope you enjoy it. I love figs too. I could eat this tapenade all day long, because of the combination of salty and sweet. It is the perfect wine tasting snack. Enjoy.
yum! fig and olive. I want to make a stuffing with that combo.
thanks for the inspiration
Oh that would be amazing in a roulade of pork! Now, I want to make it too!
Ooooh, I LOVE the idea of soaking the figs in wine first. How decadent and delicious! This is one I'll definitely be making– it looks so elegant!
Speaking of "not so planned" get together I am sooo jealous of the post IFBC bash I missed. GREG
You were terribly missed. I want to come to LA and have a cooking party with all of you boys and a couple of girls I heart a lot down there too.
My cats, who are litter mates, are named Olive and Fig. I always get excited when I see those two ingredients together in recipes! Haha.
Oh so cute. Those are great names <3
if only I liked olives! Alas, I just don't like them. But, most of my friends like them and this does look like the perfect holiday appetizer. Looks fabulous.
I am sold on this one. Love figs and planning to plant Brown Turkey fig tree this spring. Although I pretend that I plan the dinner parties well in advance, there is always one thing at the end that I put the guests to work, which ends up being fun and fine
Hey Sabrina, your Tapenade is a Recipe Guessing Game on Knapkins. Think your friends can win? http://knapkins.com/guess_games/883?source=blog