Provencal tapenade of olives and dried tomatoes

This olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade is a little more rustic than the classic version, since its texture has more body, which makes it very versatile to use and lets us enjoy little bursts of delicious flavor in every bite.

Tapenade, whose name comes from the Provençal word ‘tapéna’, meaning ‘caper’, is a kind of olive pâté very popular in Provence, where it is believed to have been created by the French chef Jean-Baptiste Reboul around 1880, at the former restaurant ‘La Maison Dorée’ in Marseille, although olive pastes were already very common well before that date.

Another difference between this tapenade and the usual one is the variety of its ingredients: besides olives and capers, it contains ingredients that give it an irresistible degree of sweetness and acidity, such as sun-dried tomato and lemon, as well as the delicate aromatic notes of basil.

Its flavor is therefore bright and intense, aromatic, with a refreshing citrus touch that, together with its chunky texture, makes it ideal as a starter, on slices of toasted bread, either plain or spread with plant-based ricotta, as a filling for portobello mushrooms, artichoke hearts or lettuce hearts, or to serve with some tasty parmesan-flavored polenta sticks.

As for its nutrients, this recipe is rich in antioxidants, flavonoids, fiber, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, alliin, beta-carotene, lycopene, caffeic acid, essential oils, vitamins A, B1 (thiamine), B6 (pyridoxine), C and E, calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, selenium, sodium and iodine.