Olive Tapenade Focaccia

I have a handy-dandy focaccia recipe that comes together very quickly, is easily customizable, and never fails to impress. I've shared variations on it before, such as this Strawberry Focaccia (the ultimate version), this savory focaccia with prosciutto, asparagus, and shallots, and this Peach Focaccia. In honor of today's Twelve Loaves them, I decided to share a savory version featuring olives.

If your fridge look anything like mine, you probably have a couple of half-full jars of olives claiming residency on the shelves. Turning them into a batch of savory, salty olive tapenade is one of my favorite ways to put that prime fridge real estate back on the market. I almost always have some capers and a half a lemon hanging out, too. Garlic and olive oil are always in my kitchen. All it takes to make some of this addictive relish is a few pulses in the food processor.

A quick batch of tapenade tumbled atop this bubbly dough worked out beautifully. This loaf of focaccia would make a wonderful addition to any lunch or dinner table; it would also be tasty alongside a cheese tray or some charcuterie. But I just went ahead and called it lunch all by itself. You know, because I could.

Baked Goat Cheese for TFF

I love that scene in French Kiss; the one where Kate is on the train in France and Luc walks up to find her slathering that amazing fromage all over her bread...and there is so much cheesy goodness on the table in fron of her! Well, this recipe from Tyler Florence for Baked Goat cheese reminded me of that cheese-lovers moment. The only downside is that I was unable to find a firm goat cheese. But I like to defy the oven gods. I went ahead and bought 2 kinds of soft goat cheese...AND I even put them in the oven to bake. Pfft..I showed them. Baked Goat Cheese from Tyler Florence's Dinner at My Place p. 78

1 French Baguette

extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 log or medallion (~8 oz) firm goat cheese I used one log & one pyramid of soft

1 c. store bought olive tapenade I made my own...recipe to follow

I also tried a couple of other toppings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make crostini, slice the baguette into thin rounds and set on a roasting tray. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the preheated oven for 7-8 minutes, until golden, then set aside.

Simple Olive Tapenade by girlichef

garlic stuffed green olives- ~4 large

kalamata olive, pitted- ~10

olive oil

herbs, if you wish

Chop up the olives. Drizzle in some olive oil & toss. Add some freshly chopped herbs. See...easy.

Place goat cheese on a roasting tray and top with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until it is warmed through and just starting to melt. Soft goat cheese won't be all gooey and melty like the firm would, but it is still warm & soft. Serve warm goat cheese with crostini and olive tapenade. I also tried serving with some store-bought sun-dried tomato tapenade and some chutney...hmmm, neither were as good.

This was a fun afternoon lunch to share, paired with a bottle of white wine. The nice crisp of the crostini with the soft, earthy goat cheese spread and the saltiness of the olives was nicely washed down with a crisp, fruity Pinot Grigio. Head on over to Tyler Florence Fridays to see what other Tyler recipes will tempt you this week! ...and hooray, today was the kiddos last day of school!! Perfect way for mom & dad to celebrate. Don't forget to enter my giveaway...time is quickly passing.