FIG & OLIVE TAPENADE

 I bought some great bargains at Holland and Barrett yesterday, among them, two bags of lovely dried Lerida Figs!
I absolutely love fresh figs but dried ones are also delicious and perfect in chutneys and this fabulous Fig & Olive Tapenade.

An intense sweet and salty at the same time, totally versatile, delicious, packed with nutrition and containing two fermented products, olives and apple cider vinegar, this is well worth making and its so simple.

Just remember to buy preservative free olives. I used black Kalamata from Aldi and green olives from Lidl, both delicious and a great price but if you want to push the boat out and splash out on some more expensive deli olives, then go right ahead!

Olives are a great source of monounsaturated fats, minerals, vitamins, fibre and various powerful antioxidants. I think we are all aware that the Mediterranean diet is an extremely healthy one, olives and quality olive oil are consumed in large amounts, along with plenty of seasonal colourful veggies and locally caught fish. Not forgetting regular consumption of red wine which we all know has various benefits for our health!!

Figs are a brilliant source of calcium and magnesium for strong bones, fibre which provides a laxative effect and balances blood sugar, and lots of other trace minerals.

This is a great wee accompaniment to tapas style food and pairs particularly well with goats cheese on toasted sourdough bread or to accompany a cheese board. 

It has a really intense flavour so a little goes a long way.
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​This would make a lovely gift, in a nice glass jar with a hand written label!
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On that note, this is so good I'm off to make another batch!!

Here is the simple recipe.....

FIG & OLIVE TAPENADE
Ingredients

• 120g dried figs, roughly chopped
• 120g black Kalamata olives, pitted
• 120g green olives, pitted
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the top
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped

Method

1. Simply put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times until you have a rough paste. You don't want a uniform paste, its best to  be a bit chunky so just pulse until you have a texture you like.
2.  Spoon your tapenade into a clean glass jar and pour a little olive oil over the top to prevent oxidation.
3.  This will keep in the fridge for up to two months.

​                                                  .....your health in your hands....