Monday, May 05, 2008

olive divinity


Just a quick product review for tonight. Since there are no Trader Joe's locations anywhere near where I live, I love going there whenever I'm traveling. While at my mom's last month, we decided to try their mixed olive bruschetta, a savory mixture of "black, brunettte and green olives with red peppers in olive oil." This stuff is, in a word, divine. It packs a salty and savory punch, and so a little goes a long way.



My favorite way to eat the stuff was as a topping for these crispy and flaky roti. The buttery flavor of the bread complemented the piquant olives perfectly. Trader Joe's has several types of olive spreads, and so far I have liked every one that I've tried.

Here are some other ideas for what to do with any olive bruschetta or tapenade type things you happen to have on hand:
  • they are a great starter for pasta sauces, just sauté some with onions or garlic before adding your other ingredients, or just toss straight up with pasta
  • as a stir-in for dips- whether bean-based (like cannelini bean dip or hummus), or cream-based (try stirring some into cashew cheese or Tofutti cream cheese)
  • a sandwich spread, especially good for heated sandwiches like panini or grilled sandwiches
  • mixed with a little bit of oil and citrus juice and vinegar to make a great marinade for veggies, tofu, or tempeh, or as a topping for grilled foods
  • as a way to add quick flavor to any soup, stew, lentils, or beans that you are cooking
  • add-ins to nut pâtés (olives and walnuts go especially well together)
  • a spread for pizza, to replace or be added to tomato sauce, or used as a pizza topping
  • and of course, just straight with bread, veggies, or crackers as an appetizer
Summer is a great time to experiment with olive pastes, and I hope these ideas inspire you to try them out!


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17 comments:

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Mmm, roti! hehehe. I'm not afraid of a good tapenade either.

Avery Yale Kamila said...

Yum! Looks delicious. Maine is devoid of Trader Joe's too, but I do love to shop there whenever my travels take me near one. Love the recipe suggestions!

JohnP said...

TJ's is finally opening here this fall. I am definitely buying this!

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

Bazu!! So lovely to see you posting - I miss your posts!! :0)

Tapenade = heavenly spread, for sure

Diz Rivera said...

My mouth just watered on the keyboard. great.

aTxVegn said...

No TJ's anywhere near me, but that spread looks really delicious. I would love to stir some into beans, veggies, or pasta sauce like you suggested.

Anonymous said...

Brunette olives? Do they have ash blond? How about auburn?

Bridget said...

Why don't we have a trader joe's around here dammnit!!! :-)

You know I have never had a tapenade. How is that?!

mollyjade said...

I have severe TJ jealousy.

anna/village vegan said...

Yay, glad you're a fellow olive-lover. My grandparents gave me a huge box of different spreads and tapenades from TJ's for Christmas-- seriously, best present ever! I still have lots left....mmmm. So yummy.

urban vegan said...

And I thought I tried everything vegan at TJ's. It DOES look divine.

Rural Vegan said...

I've tried this before, it's excellent! Of course, I've loved almost everything I've ever purchased at TJ.

Vicki's Vegan Vice said...

mmm, I love olives!! While we're in CA, I plan to have a little TJ spree!! I'll look for this, thanks!

Unknown said...

Fabulous uses for the lovely olive spread! I just love Trader Joes.. I wish it wasn't so far away..

Bobbi said...

Not ten minutes ago husband and I had a conversation about how we need to do a Trader Joe's trip soon, and now I'm adding this to the list. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

You done a grate combination that olive With roti.I like it.I will try it.

Vegan_Noodle said...

I really need to try to develop a taste for olives... I've always hated them! But your post makes them look so good...