Here’s an easy vegetarian party appetizer idea for ya’ll. Lemon Manchego Toasts with Green Olive Tapenade. Deceptively easy, and really tasty.
I opened the fridge last week and took a real good look at the condiments and other sundries on the door. Among the jars and bottles of mustard, mayonnaise, and Sriracha, I immediately pinpointed a sad jar of green olives that had probably been there since Lost ended and Lady Gaga showed up at the VMA’s in a meat dress.
I cracked open the jar, hoping they weren’t quite as old as I’d thought. After a cursory whiff of approval, I decided to put said olives out of their misery and dumped them into a food processor.
Here’s what I ended up with! Cheesy olive toasts with lemon zest and fresh black pepper. They’re super easy to make in bulk, so if you have your own sad, forgotten jar of olives in the fridge with nowhere to go, give this recipe a try.
Recipe Instructions
Rinse the olives and place them in a food processor along with the capers, garlic, lemon zest, sugar, and olive oil. Pulse for about 2 minutes, until smooth. Spread one side of each slice of bread with a thin layer of butter and place onto a sheet pan.
Toast lightly under the broiler (set to low), for about 1-2 minutes. Flip over and toast for another minute. You just want the other side of the bread to be lightly toasted before adding the olive spread and cheese.
Spread tapenade onto each toast (the unbuttered side) and sprinkle with cheese.
Broil until cheese is melted. Garnish the toasts with plenty of lemon zest and cracked black pepper.
