Olive And Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade With Endive Leaves Recipe 55

Steps:

• In a small bowl, cover tomatoes with boiling water.
• Let steep until softened, about 30 minutes.
• Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the liquid.
• Finely chop tomatoes and return to the bowl.
• Mash garlic with salt until it forms a paste.
• Add to tomatoes, along with basil, oil and reserved steeping liquid.
• Mix well.

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in processor gradually adding olive oil until desired consistency. Taste occasionally to get it just right.

Steps:

• Stir balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl; fold in sun-dried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, green olives, and garlic. Season with black pepper. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for flavors to blend, at least 2 hours to overnight.
• Arrange cream cheese halves on 2 serving dishes; spoon tapenade over cream cheese.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a food processor, add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes and the olive oil it was packed in. Pulse until smooth, but still chunky. Add more extra-virgin olive oil if mixture is too dry. Spoon into a serving bowl. If not serving immediately, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days. Be sure to bring it to room temperature and to mix it thoroughly before serving. Gently pull off the leaves from the endive, being carefully not to tear the leaves. Wash thoroughly with cold water and dry completely. Place the bowl of tapenade in the center of a large platter. Decoratively circle the tapenade bowl with the endive leaves working your way to the rim of the platter. This recipe yields 12 appetizer servings.