Tapenade is a caper and olive paste that comes from Provence, France. The word comes from “tapeno”, the Provencal word for caper. This paste is extremely versatile, being used for things like crostini for appetizers, a topping on grilled salmon, and marinade for roast chicken, lamb, or beef. Use it as a quick pasta sauce, on pizza, or even spoon a dollop into tired leftover soup to add some zip.

Use either black or green olives, oil-cured or brined. Oil-cured are easier to work with (if pitting the olives yourself), but brined can produce a great impact, too. Traditionally, tapenade is made with anchovies. I don’t usually use them but the recipe includes that option.