My Mom has been quietly participating in Cook the Book Fridays behind the scenes. She already owned a copy of My Paris Kitchen, so I when I suggested she cook along with me, she enthusiastically agreed.
This past week I was visiting my parents in Seattle, so my Mom and I got to make the recipe of the week, Artichoke Tapenade with Rosemary Oil, together. It was pretty awesome because she let me do the fun stuff while she did the more tedious tasks of pitting the olives, draining the artichokes, and cleaning up after me. Moms are the best!
Another great thing about cooking at my parent’s house is my Dad’s garden. This time of year there isn’t much to harvest except herbs, but that suited this recipe just fine. I used freshly harvested rosemary to make the rosemary oil, which made it extra delicious.
The recipe for the tapenade couldn’t get much more simple: toss canned artichoke hearts, green olives, olive oil, capers, lemon juice, garlic, and cayenne pepper into a food processor and puree until smooth. It is drizzled with a generous amount of homemade rosemary oil and served with bread or crackers.
The tapenade was a big hit the night my sister and her family came to my parent’s house for dinner. We pretty much devoured it. And we all agreed we would make it again.
A few suggestions: 1) I let the tapenade rest for about an hour before serving and I felt the flavors were able to mellow and blend a bit. I’m sure a longer rest would be even better; 2) The tapenade was pretty garlicky. I didn’t mind, but if anyone is sensitive to garlic or prefers less, I recommend only using one clove; 3) Don’t leave out the rosemary oil!
If you are interested in trying this wonderful recipe, I encourage you to buy a copy of My Paris Kitchen. I also found the recipe online: Artichoke Tapenade Recipe.
From Scratch 
I love that your mom is cooking this book with you. Instead of Tricia and Nana, we’ve got Karen and Mom! I agree that this one was DELICIOUS! The rosemary oil something I look forward to making with homegrown herbs, once they come up from the ground…
My Mom actually goes by “Nana” too!
What a fun post!!! Isn’t it the best to get to cook together and enjoy your efforts with family?? Your tapenade looks delicious! This will surely be something to make again (and again)!
We loved this! And how easy was it to make the rosemary oil?👍👍👍👍
I tried to get my mom to work through this with me… no such luck, so color me jealous! Glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did!
Awe, how fun that your mom is cooking along too. My family has been dragged into a few of my cooking projects as well, usually because I happen to be home when a specific recipe needs to be made and they have always been good sports.
I love the presentation of your dip. We really enjoyed this one, too.
That’s so cool that your mother is cooking along, too! And even better that you were able to do one of the recipes together this week. My family has become so used to my food blogging becoming intertwined with their visits with me. It’s been a lot of fun for all of us.
I agree…don’t leave out the Rosemary oil! It was really good. I think it’s great that you and your mom are cooking along with the book, Karen. My son used to cook along with us once in awhile during FFWD.
Very nice presentation!
Sweet! I’m a mom cooking with my daughter! Today she took the leftover tapenade to a brunch potluck. It was a hit!
oh, how cool is that? So glad you could share the CtBF experience with your mom. Sure wish my mom was here to clean up after me sometimes!
Fresh picked rosemary must have made the oil extra delicious too. YUM.
You are right- it was quite garlicky, but I loved it! So glad you got to make this with your mom! How fun!
First, thanks for the tips. I haven’t made my tapenade yet (this week-end) so will definitely let it mellow. I like garlic. And, yes, I won’t skip the rosemary oil. I think it’s fun that your Mom is cooking along with us. How fun is that. Isn’t it wonderful to be back cooking together again, Karen, and to have picked such a good book (love David) makes it just perfect. XOX
I made sure to leave some resting in the refrigerator overnight to see how the flavors develop. Tomorrow I’ll know! It would be great to make this ahead of time for parties or lazy weekends.
Yay and what fun your mom is cooking with you!! You’re not the only one to mention the garlicky problem so I’m keeping that in mind as it may depend on the specific bulb or something. I think we served it with the same crackers the first time I made it and it was so good! Glad you all enjoyed it and hope your trip to Seattle went well!
Yum!