La Cuna Black Olive Spread (Tapenade)

### TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR A savoury paste made of black olives, olive oil, and oregano, this exquisite tapenade has intense flavor, but smooth and with full olive flavor. It’s beautifully salty, with the oregano giving a certain freshness to the taste that balances it all so well. ### PREPARATION AND PAIRINGS The La Cuna Black Olive Spread (Tapenade) is perfect to spread on toast or crackers. Serve it as a dip for appetizers. It’s also great as a topping for greens, just add a sprinkling of capers and anchovies, and you have yourself a salad bursting with flavor. Make a great canape by stuffing Portobello mushrooms with this savoury paste, and a dollop of Burrata on top, placing it in an oven for 20 minutes. You can also make a great sandwich with this. Try this Grilled Gruyere with Olive Tapenade and Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Brush two slices of your choice of bread with some olive oil. On one side of one bread slice (oil side down), spread your La Cuna Black Olive Spread (Tapenade). Top with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano, two tomato slices, shaved Gruyère, and sundried tomatoes. Top with the second slice of bread, oil side up. On a skillet on medium-high head, place the sandwich on the pan. Gently press with a spatula to flatten the sandwiches. Cook for around 2 minutes on each side, until cheese is melted and bread is toasted. ### TAPENADE TALES The word “tapenade” comes from the Occitan word, “tapena,” which means capers. This savoury paste came from a Provenҫal recipe from 1880. French chef, Jean-Baptiste Reboul, credits the creation of tapenade to the restaurant, La Maison Dorée in Marseille, by a Chef Meynier. According to Reboul, Meynier crushed capers and black olives, mixing in anchovies, and tuna, and adding pepper, cognac, and olive oil, and whipped it all together to fill halves of boiled eggs. The tapenade as we know it now is much simpler, but no less incredible and delicious.