Black Olive Tapenade

Who doesn't love a good olive tapenade? This one takes about 15 minutes to make. You may wish to served it with crudites (a variety of vegetables to dip,) in addition to slices of warm baguette from your local boulangerie :-)


Difficulty Level: Facile


What you need:

• 2 six-ounce cans black olives, drained
• 3-4 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tsp. capers
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/8 cup chopped red onion
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 3 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• pepper, to taste
• 1/4 tsp. dried thyme

What to do:

1. Process all ingredients in a food processor and serve on thin slices of toasted baguette. Bon Appetit!

Pissaladiere

Oh mon dieux, quelle pissaladiere delicieuse! Une pissaladiere is a kin to a pizza and native to the region of Provence, which happens to be neighbored by Italy. Pissaaladiere is usually made in the shape of a rectangle, similar to that of a French tart. If you aren't concerned with the vegan aspect, anchovies are a common topping, but the Provencal pizza is just as lovely without.

Difficulty Level: Facile (Easy)

What you need:
For the topping:

• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 4 yellow onions, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
• 4 whole cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• cornmeal, for baking
• 15 oil-cured black olives

For the dough: (makes 2, so you can freeze one for la prochaine fois)

• 1 1/4 cups warm water (100 to 110 degrees)
• 2 envelopes dry yeast
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 3 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp. sea salt

What to do:

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and thyme over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring intermittently. After 30 minutes, take out the garlic and chop roughly, then add it back to the onions. 
2. For the dough, combine the water, yeast, sugar and olive oil in a bowl. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for ten minutes. Pace dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover with the oil.Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel and let sit for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Divide the dough into two equal parts, rolling each one into a smooth ball. Wrap one and freeze. Roll the other ball of dough with a rolling pin, stretching it to a 10 by 15-inch rectangle and place it on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
4. Spoon the onion topping onto the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border all around. Arrange the olives and bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot on a cutting board. Bon appetit!