Wild Mushroom and Almond Tapenade created by: Almond Board of California
description:
This tapenade expands on it's Mediterranean origins by substituting almonds for some of the olives. Tapenade, which originated in France’s Provence region, is traditionally a thick olive, caper and anchovy paste used as a condiment. This flavorful version has a boost of toasty, crunchy almonds, and is less acidic than most, as some of the olives have been replaced with minced and sautéed garlicky wild mushrooms. It’s remarkably versatile — try it as a snack on crostini or with pita bread scoopers. As part of a meal, it complements chicken, fish and pork, and can even be tossed with hot, cooked pasta.
servings 13
ingredients 8 ounces assorted wild mushrooms*, washed, dried, trimmed and minced
2 shallots, minced
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) slivered almonds, roasted**
3 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
preparation Mince mushrooms and shallots with a knife or in a food processor. Warm olive oil over medium heat in a medium, non-stick skillet.  Add mushrooms and shallots when the oil is hot but not smoking; cook, stirring often, until mushrooms are very tender and still a bit moist, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. In the meantime, place almonds, capers, olives and garlic into the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until very finely minced. Let mushrooms and shallots cool for at least five minutes; then stir in olive mixture. Stir in vinegar and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.

* Oyster mushrooms provide a nice texture and mild flavor in this recipe. Do not use portobellos; their flavor is too strong, and they contain too much moisture.

** To roast almonds, place a single layer on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350º F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring at least once to ensure even roasting. Almonds will continue to brown after being removed from the oven.