Tapenade—Two Ways
A zesty hot dog condiment & refreshing summer dip
A zesty hot dog condiment & refreshing summer dip
If you love castelvetrano olives as much as I do, you’ll appreciate this excuse to eat a few dozen of them in one sitting. This is the easiest thing to bring to a backyard barbecue, dinner party with friends, or picnic on the beach. It’s my go-to hot dog topping, equally great over greek yogurt as a dip with chips or griddled bread, nice on any sandwich, and delicious drizzled over any kind of egg. So versatile and refreshing on a sweltering summer day. Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
FOR THE TAPENADE
2 cups pitted castelvetrano olives from a 9oz+ jar, roughly chopped
1.5 cups fresh herbs: a mix of finely chopped-basil, cilantro, parsley, and/or chives, whatever you have on hand
3 large garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
The zest from 1 large lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2-1 tsp aleppo or red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon red wine or sherry vinegar, plus more to taste
Kosher salt and black peppercorns, to taste
Drizzle of honey
FOR SERVING with hot dogs
Hot dogs
Buns
Yellow mustard
Dijion mustard
FOR SERVING as a dip
Plain greek yogurt, 1-2 cups depending on the size of the crowd
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Griddled crusty bread
Directions:
Roughly chop 2 cups of castelvetrano olives and 1.5 cups of fresh herbs. Add to a medium-sized bowl. Add 3 grated garlic cloves, the lemon zest, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 tsp of aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes (taste as you go and add more if you’d like), 1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar, and a drizzle of honey. Toss until fully combined.
Taste and add kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper until it’s bright and punchy.
To serve with hot dogs, I like to pair it with some yellow or dijon mustard as pictured.
To serve as a dip, season 1-2 cups greek yogurt with lots of kosher salt and freshly ground black peppercorns. Add to a plate or shallow bowl. Add the tapenade to the center of the yogurt and serve alongside griddled crusty bread, classic potato chips, or crudités. Enjoy!