Kombu Tapenade 🫒

I used to hate olives. But I didn't even know what olives were like! I hated those shriveled black rings that interrupted my veggie pizza. I actually hated a lot of foods for a lot of my life. But, things started to change when I moved to California.  It was years ago, and I was moved out here, to Berkeley from Austin, to work on political campaigns with an outreach organization. We traveled all over Northern California with little teams of college students and young folks who helped fundraise and inform the public about issues affecting all of us. California was a total culture shock for this little southern girl. The things I learned the year I spent on the campaign included: deodorant is not necessary, non stick pans get scratched and release toxic chemicals, rainbow chard exists, every part of the garlic plant is edible and tastes like garlic, compost, recycle, reduce plastics, bottled water companies don’t make water they make bottles, big pharma doesn’t want you to be healthy, environmental issues disproportionately affect marginalized Americans, and a lot of foods I thought I hated I actually love (i’d just never had a good version of it).

Now, I love olives, I cook with either cast iron or stainless steel, I generally skip deodorant, I'm obsessed with spring garlic, and I carry around a copper water bottle to stay hydrated. I developed this recipe because olives are super nutritious and help alleviate hangovers,  also I wanted to start adding more seaweed to my diet! Kombu is full of vitamins, helps to reduce cholesterol, build strong bones, and it supports immunity. After the last couple of years, I think we all need more seaweed in our diets. This tapenade is great on a cheese plate, or just to spread on toast! A delicious way to get your daily vitamins!

YIELD

12oz jar

EQUIPMENT 

Blender, 12oz jar

INGREDIENTS 

• 1 cup pitted olives (we used a mix of green and black)
• ¼ cup pickled onions (or raw red onions)
• ¼ cup pickled carrots (optional)
• 1 TBS capers
• Juice of one large lemon
• ¾ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 small sheet of  kombu
• 4 cloves garlic or 1 TBS toum
• Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Boil kombu sheet for 15-20 minutes until it's fully hydrated, remove from water (save water to make veggie broth or miso soup!)
2. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until chopped but not completely pureed
3. Use it to top avocado toast, pizza toast, or as a dip with toast points and crudite. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks