Sometimes we like something to nibble on while dinner is cooking.  It’s always something simple, typically a bowl of guacamole or some cheese and crackers.  When company comes over, I get a little fancier and often make some kind of dip.  I’m particularly fond of variations on white bean dips.  This week’s choice for Cook the Book Fridays from David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen introduced a new option to our pre-weeknight dinner snacking:  Artichoke Tapenade with Rosemary Oil.

The first step is to make a batch of Rosemary Oil.  Rosemary and parsley leaves are blanched and drained, then steeped in warm olive oil for a while.  The herbs and oil go for a whirl in the food processor to puree the herbs, then the herbs are strained out of the oil.  The result is a jar of verdant fragrant herbaceous oil.  I’ll be drizzling this on everything that invites it in the weeks to come.

The tapenade itself comes together quickly with pantry items: canned artichoke hearts, green olives, and capers along with olive oil, lemon juice and a couple of cloves of garlic.  It takes about 30 seconds.  A generous glug of rosemary oil adds an extra spark of flavor.  Served with crackers or baguette slices, this winning combination makes a perfect starter.

I also learned this tidbit from the vignette on the page opposite the recipe.  Did you know that while tapenade refer to an olive spread, the name tapenade is derived from the Provençal word for capers, tapenas?  According to David Lebovitz, it isn’t tapenade without capers!

I suspect my friends enjoyed tapenade as much as I did.  To validate my theory, follow their links here.  Due to copyright considerations, I don’t publish the recipes here.  You can find the tapenade on page 53 and the rosemary oil on page 332 of David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen.  Or feel free to drop me a line and I’ll share the recipe with you.