Green Olive, Basil, and Almond Tapenade
Green Olive, Basil, and Almond Tapenade from My Paris Kitchen (tapenade d’olives vertes au basilic et aux amandes)
2 C. (260g) green olives, pitted
1/3 C. (35g) whole untoasted almonds
1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
11/2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. capers, rinsed and squeezed dry
1/2 C. (15g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 C. (125ml) olive oil Sea salt or kosher salt
Put the olives, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and capers in the bowl of a food processor. (I don’t use a mortar and pestle for this because I like the slightly chunky bits of almonds in the finished tapenade.) Coarsely chop the basil leaves, add them to the processor, and pulse the machine a few times to start breaking them down. Add the olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Pulse the food processor until the mixture forms a coarse paste, one that still has a little texture provided by the not-entirely-broken-down almonds. The tapenade will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.