For Olive Lovers

Tapenade

1/2 cup finely chopped Kalamata olives

1/4 cup finely chopped green olives (without pimento)

1/4 cup finely chopped black olives

2 tablespoons finely chopped sun dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon capers

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and serve with fresh sourdough type bread.

Hints: Use the best quality ingredients you can. It is much easier to chopped pitted olives. I use sun dried tomatoes that are not packed in olive oil but come in a pouch like dried fruit comes in. Some people prefer to rinse capers before they use them, I didn't bother for this dish. The rosemary should be in very small pieces; fresh rosemary would be great--use about twice as much, very finely chopped.

I was inspired by the spread that accompanied my bread for lunch at the Park Grill in the hotel Le Meridian  (San Francisco). Often tapenade recipes have anchovies in them, some lemon juice and they are made into a paste consistency. I made this recipe without the fish because I wanted something that I could make from pantry items and I don't have anchovies on hand. The chopped verses paste choice is really a matter of presentation. I prefer the chopped look. The paste does spread easier on bread (put all ingredients in a food processor). Both taste fabulous.