Provençal tapenade is a delicious French appetizer bursting with Mediterranean flavors. This simple yet addictive spread features a base of brined black olives, blended with capers, garlic, and olive oil. Its rich, salty taste with a hint of bitterness and a touch of heat from the capers makes it a delightful accompaniment to crusty bread, crackers, or crudités.

Some variations might include anchovies for an extra savory punch, sun-dried tomatoes for a burst of sweetness, or fresh herbs like parsley or thyme for added complexity.

The cultivated olive tree comes from the domestication of the wild olive tree, Olea europeae.It was accepted theory that the Near East was the original focus of olive tree domestication, followed by a slow spread of this primitive olive culture to the Aegean world, Egypt, southern Italy, North Africa, and then the whole of the Mediterranean area by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Romans.

Archaeological discoveries of the domestication of the olive tree in North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula have been discovered, indicating the cultivated olive tree was not only spread by the prestigious civilisations but had already been adopted by lesser-known local civilisations.

France has three olive-growing regions: the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the Languedoc-Roussillon region, and Corsica. The departments of Drôme and Ardèche in the Rhône-Alpes region are also renowned production areas. Together, these regions contain 600,000 to 700,000 olive trees, farmed by around 8,000 olive growers.

It is estimated that there are more than 500 varieties of olives in the world; in France, the genetic identification work carried out by INRA and France Olive lists 211 cultivars, 190 of which are considered indigenous.

The many different olives in France reflect the long-standing nature of olive-growing practices and the highly subtle relationships forged between olive growers and local conditions. The wealth of varieties thus represents an authentic historical and agrarian heritage.

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Provençal Olive Tapenade

Provençal tapenade is a delicious French appetizer bursting with Mediterranean flavors. This simple yet addictive spread features a base of brined black olives, blended with capers, garlic, and olive oil. Its rich, salty taste with a hint of bitterness and a touch of heat from the capers makes it a delightful accompaniment to crusty bread, crackers, or crudités.

Some variations might include anchovies for an extra savory punch, sun-dried tomatoes for a burst of sweetness, or fresh herbs like parsley or thyme for added complexity.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 2 People

Calories 327kcal

Author Graham Hill

Cost €7

Equipment

• 1 Blender

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic peeled
• 250 g Pitted Black Provence Olives
• 1 bunch chopped fresh parsley
• 30 g capers
• 30 ml lemon juice
• 30 ml olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Place garlic cloves into a blender or food processor; pulse to mince.
• Add olives, parsley, capers, lemon juice, and olive oil. Blend until mixture is finely chopped.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Olives noires de Nyons are sometimes difficult to source. If unavailable any olives matured in a salt brine often labelled Greek Style are perfect for this recipe.

Add 2 anchovies or 2 to 3 pieces of sun-blushed tomato for extra flavour.

Nutrition

Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 2421mg | Potassium: 250mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2914IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 3mg

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The post Provençal Tapenade first appeared on The Taste of France.

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French Onion Tart with Cheesy Thyme Pastry

Course Light Meal

Cuisine French

Keyword Brunch,, Luncheon, supper

Prep Time 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 473kcal

Cost €7

Equipment

• 1 Food Processor Or bowl
• 1 Rolling Pin
• 1 23cm Tart Tin

Ingredients

• 200 g plain flour plus extra for dusting
• 125 g cold butter 100g, plus 25g
• 150 g gruyère grated comté or vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, grated
• small handful of thyme leaves picked
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large onions finely sliced
• 2 tbsp white wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 brown anchovies finely chopped, or use 1 tsp olive tapenade or umami paste
• 2 large eggs
• 300 ml double cream

Instructions

• Put the flour in the bowl of a food processor with the 100g butter. Blitz until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, then add 50g of the cheese, 1 tbsp of the thyme leaves, some freshly ground black pepper and 1 tsp salt. Blitz again briefly to combine. Add 2-3 tbsp cold water, and pulse again until it comes together into a dough. If you don’t have a food processor, do this in a bowl – rub the flour into the butter first, then stir in the remaining ingredients with a knife. Wrap and chill for at least 40 mins.
• Meanwhile, heat the 25g butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat, and cook the onions with a pinch of salt for 40-50 mins, stirring often, until sticky, golden and very soft when pressed with the back of a spoon. If they start to catch, reduce the heat further and add a splash of water. Be patient, as they will take a while to caramelise, but keep your eye on the pan so they don’t burn.
• Stir in the vinegar, sugar and the anchovies. Keep stirring until the vinegar has evaporated, and the anchovies have dissolved into the onions. Remove from the heat.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and roll the pastry out onto a lightly floured work surface to a 3mm thickness. Use the pastry to line a 23cm tart tin (use the rolling pin to help you do this). Trim the edges so they’re just overhanging the sides. Patch the pastry with the offcuts, if needed. Scrunch up a sheet of baking parchment, then open it out again to line the pastry, and fill with baking beans. Bake for 15 mins, remove the parchment and beans, then bake for a further 5-8 mins, or until the pastry looks dry, without any raw spots.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, cream, remaining thyme and the rest of the cheese together with a pinch each of salt and black pepper. Stir in the caramelised onions. Trim the sides of the pastry using a serrated knife to neaten the edges. Pour the filling into the pastry case and tap the tin gently on the work surface to release any bubbles.
• Bake the quiche for 25-30 mins on the middle shelf of the oven until lightly golden and set in the middle, with a slight wobble. Leave to cool in the tin for at least 15-20 mins, then slice. To make the salad, whisk the olive oil and vinegar together in a bowl, then toss in the remaining ingredients. Pile the salad on top of the quiche, or serve alongside. If you like, leave the quiche to cool completely, then chill before serving. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.

Nutrition

Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 1270mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1174IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 220mg | Iron: 2mg

The post French Onion Tart with Cheesy Thyme Pastry first appeared on The Taste of France.