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!

olive divinity