Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Black Olive Tapenade

Inspiration for lunch can come from anywhere. A food memory. A picture in a magazine.

The light bulb goes off over your head and you go on automatic pilot, pulling things out of the fridge, grabbing the scissors and walking trance like to the garden to cut fresh basil.

Slicing fresh mozzarella, ripe tomatoes and the secret ingredient, Black Olive Tapenade, at the ready.

All of a sudden, you’re sitting down to a combination that makes absolutely perfect sense.

And tastes absolutely perfect.

Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Black Olive Tapenade

1 medium round fresh mozzarella, sliced
One large tomato, sliced
Fresh basil leaves
1 large spoonful Black Olive Tapenade

Layer mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil on plate. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Put spoonful of Black Olive Tapenade on the side and serve with crusty bread.

Serves 2.

Basil, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Black Olive Tapenade

Grilled Lamb Chops with Salsa Tapenade

We’re back.

Vacation was filled with good food, friends and family.

It was better than ever.

Coming home to a gorgeous Middle Tennessee spring with summer on the way was even better.

We’re taking a brief respite from seafood.

For about a day.

But what a way to take a break by having some grilled lamb chops, fresh asparagus and a great salsa to top the chops, using my homemade Tapenade with some happy additions.

It’s good to be home.

Salsa Tapenade

2 tbsp black olive Tapenade*
½ cup roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tbsp capers
A good splash of balsamic vinegar
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

Makes about ¾ cup.
Combine and serve on top of the grilled chops.



The Chops
4 good sized lamb chops, seasoned with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice, coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grill 4 minutes per side.
Serves 3.


Black Olive Tapenade

¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1-¼ cup pitted Nicoise olives
1 tbsp garlic confit (or 4 fat garlic cloves, peeled)
4 anchovy fillets
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Put pine nuts, olives, garlic, anchovies and olive oil in food processor and pulse off and on til thick but not mush. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 1-½ cups. Keep top covered with olive oil and this will last indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Yes, this appeared several weeks ago. Versatility is its middle name!

Grilled Lamb Chops with Salsa Tapenade

Grilled Pork Chops with Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce and Black Olive Tapenade

Flush from the success of the Shrimp with Toasted Almonds and Garlic Confit, I continue my experiment in cleaning out the refrigerator. We had some beautiful bone in pork chops that desired a turn on the grill.

It was a wonderful Friday night. Groom mixed some Silver Bullets (shaken, not stirred) to celebrate two more days of work before ten glorious days at the beach and once again I turned to the fridge to decide what to do with those porkers.

I remembered a Bobby Flay recipe from years ago that used roasted yellow pepper sauce with a pork tenderloin, so it stood to reason that this would work beautifully with the chops.

And it did.

Silver Bullets ..love these Martinis!

Fill a shaker with ice and one cup Grey Goose Vodka.
Then 3 capfuls of Bombay Sapphire Gin.
And finally 1 capful Noilly Prat dry vermouth.

Put the top on and shake your groove thing around the kitchen along with the martinis.

Strain into up glasses, plop an oversized green olive in it, and enjoy.
Makes three martinis.


Grilled Bone In Pork Chops with Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce and Black Olive Tapenade
Adapted from Bobby Flay’s From My Kitchen to Your Table

Black Olive Tapenade

¼ cup toasted pine nuts
1-¼ cup pitted Nicoise olives
1 tbsp garlic confit (or 4 fat garlic cloves, peeled)
4 anchovy fillets
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Put pine nuts, olives, garlic, anchovies and olive oil in food processor and pulse off and on til thick but not mush. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 1-½ cups.

Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce

2 yellow bell peppers, charred, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 tbsp garlic confit or 5 fat garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
Good pinch Spanish saffron
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coarse Dijon mustard
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

In blender, combine peppers, vinegar, garlic, saffron, honey and mustard and blend. With motor running slowly add the olive oil until it emulsifies. Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes about 1-½ cups.

The Chops

2 good sized bone in pork chops, about 1-½ inches thick
1 tbsp sweet Spanish paprika
1 tbsp ground ancho chili powder
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the spices together and rub on both sides of the pork chops. Grill chops 5-6 minutes per side.

Plate with the Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce on the bottom, chop and top with a spoonful of the Tapenade.

You will have extra sauce to save and use another time!

Grilled Pork Chops with Roasted Yellow Pepper Sauce and Black Olive Tapenade