Green olive and almond tapenade

Hello everyone, last night I attended a cocktail party at Government House, which was lovely, of course. The finger food was spectacular - all these tiny little morsels that were beautifully made and arranged. I think my favourite was the crispy parmesan shell that contained a goats cheese and parmesan flavoured mousse. It was all spectacular. They did feature heavily the Chinese spoons containing miniature dim sims. I really don't think there is a place for the Chinese spoons in finger food as you just can't eat from them elegantly. Still, obviously lots of people don't agree with me as they seem to feature at every cocktail function.

Today's recipe is a really nice mix that can be used in all sorts of ways. I love green olives and if you buy them from a good deli you will be bowled over by the spectacular taste. You can serve this as a robust kind of dip, or spread it on crusty bread, either toasted or not, or use it to accompany grilled chicken or fish. It would also be good with roasted vegetables or even on a pizza - it's very versatile!

Have a fantastic week, love from Jane xx

Green olive and almond tapenade

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

What you need:

• 250g whole green olives (to yield about 170g when pitted)
• 1 cup blanched almonds
• 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 2 anchovy fillets
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Cut the olive flesh so that you can discard the pits.
2. Toast the almonds in a 180 oven until golden brown (around 5-8 minutes, watch closely).
3. Blend the olives, almonds, parsley, lemon juice, garlic and anchovies in a food processor.
4. Drizzle in the olive oil and blend again until combined but still coarse.
5. Season to taste.
6. Serve at room temperature.