Kalamata olive tapenade

A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!

A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze

We literally feel as though we have won the tapenade jackpot! Making an olive tapenade is pretty straightforward, but it can be a bit time consuming when you have to pit the olives yourself. Sure, you can use the canned black olives that taste like plastic if you like; those are usually pitted. But we’re fans of flavour, and great flavour at that so we prefer to make our tapenade with Kalamata olives; the pitting is worth it.

But what if we told you that you could make our amazing tapenade and not have to pit a thing! Wouldn’t that be amazing? It would be! And it is! The MEZE brand of pitted Kalamata sliced olives makes tapenade making a breeze. Simply add all ingredients to a food processor, give it a whiz, and you are good to go. Kalamata olive tapenade makes the easiest and most delicious appetizer!

We are so happy to have partnered with Montreal based Messara Foods to make our Kalamata olive tapenade and we have used some of their imported products to create an incredible charcuterie and deli board.

A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!

How to make an amazing Kalamata olive tapenade:

It’s simple really. Start with the best ingredients you can find, like the MEZE brand of sliced Kalamata olives, and then add a variety of ingredients to enhance the flavour. We like to use fresh herbs, some lemon, and capers along with other items (all listed in the recipe below of course). We also like to leave a bit of texture in our tapenade. We use a food processor, but carefully; we don’t want to end up with a puree.

How to serve an olive tapenade:

Olive tapenade is wonderful spread on crusty bread, crackers or even spread on top of a wedge of cheese. We also love to add it to our charcuterie boards. These entertaining centerpieces are always met with oohs and aaahs by guests who love to discover all the goodies that are presented creatively.

Greek meze appetizer food board
Greek meze appetizer food board

How to make an amazing charcuterie board:

We relied on some exceptional products to make this charcuterie board. We partnered with Messara Foods and used many of selections from their incredible line of imported products to take this charcuterie board to the next level of greatness.

Messara food products

Typically, a charcuterie (pronounced “shahr-ku-tuh-ree”) board is a artfully displayed selection of cured meats and meat products on a serving board. As we have done, it can include an assortment of other things such as cheeses, fruits, olives, nuts, and other marinated or pickled ingredients that are delightful to nibble on. When you have a selection of prepared ingredients at the ready, assembling a charcuterie board is really a lot of fun. You can let you imagination go wild, knowing that your guests will be delighteed!

On our charcuterie board we included the following:

  • Kalamata olive tapenade, made with MEZE sliced Kalamata olives
  • MEZE pepperoncini Add some zing to your charcuterie board with these pepperoncini, or Macedonian green peppers. A great complement to the richness of cheese and deli meats.
  • MEZE roasted red peppers.These Florina peppers from Northern Greece add a beautiful pop of colour, as well as great freshness and crunch to your party platter.
  • MEZE marinated artichokes Artichokes may seem like an unusual addition to a charcuterie board, but trust us! These marinated artichokes, imported directly from Greece, will go quickly! Simply amazing flavour!
  • KALIMERA fig jam Made with fresh figs from Greece, this fig jam is the next best thing to fresh figs. Amazing served with Greek cheese and spread on a crostini.
  • MEZE beetroot slices Another great way to add amazing colour and flavour to your charcuterie board. These beetroot slices are bursting with a sweet, earthy flavour…and did we mention the amazing colour! 🙂
  • MEZE green olives stuffed with almonds What an amazing combination of flavours and textures. Salty, crunchy, just perfect.
  • Kasseri cheese This is a Greek semi-hard cheese with a rich buttery taste and mildly salty flavour.
  • Marble cheddar
  • Assorted fine chocolates
  • Prosciutto
  • Cured salami
  • Almonds & walnuts
  • Dry figs
  • Grapes, apple slices
  • Crackers and toasted crostini

Looking for other great appetizers? Try these:

White beans stuffed artichoke hearts

Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with feta

Greek meatballs or keftedes

A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!
A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!

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A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!
A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!

Kalamata olive tapenade

A Kalamata olive tapenade is the perfect quick and easy meze!
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Greek
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Resting time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Author: Mia Kouppa

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Ingredients

  • 375 ml jar of pitted and sliced Kalamata olives, drained we used MEZE brand
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  • tsp capers
  • 1 tsp finely chopped red onion
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp dry oregano
  • ¼ tsp red chili flakes
  • ½ tsp fresh thyme
  • 1-2 tsp olive oil we used MEZE brand

Instructions

  • Add the garlic into the bowl of your food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
    1-2 cloves garlic
  • Next add the remaining ingredients, except for the olive oil, and process until smooth, but still with some texture remaining (you don't want your tapenade to be a puree).
    375 ml jar of pitted and sliced Kalamata olives, drained, 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley, 1½ tsp capers, 1 tsp finely chopped red onion, 1 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp dry oregano, ¼ tsp red chili flakes, ½ tsp fresh thyme
  • With the food processor speed on low, slowly drizzle in 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive oil, until your tapenade holds together. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and mix well.
  • Transfer your tapenade to a serving bowl and allow to sit for approximately 1 hour at room temperature or in the refrigerator; this will allow the flavours to further develop.
  • Serve with pita wedges, crackers, or bread.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

Kalamata olive tapenade is a great appetizer; gluten-free and vegan it can be enjoyed by everyone.  
 

Thanks for sharing!

2 Comments

  1. Dorothy's New Vintage Kitchen says:

    Love tapenade, and this sounds wonderful!

    1. miakouppa says:

      Thanks Dorothy!! And using the already sliced and pitted Kalamata olives makes this recipe a breeze! xoxo Helen & Billie

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