Bad Root Beer, Good Tapenade

The root beer from yesterday is really not so great. There's a little too much ginger, something funky in the aftertaste (maybe dandelion), and it's not sweet enough. A couple of teaspoons of simple syrup fix that last one, but otherwise I'm sticking to store-bought for my root beer fix.

Here's something quicker and a little more fool proof. It's nice as an appetizer or quick lunch; try a few different olives for variety. Chop the ingredients by hand for a more substantial texture.

Olive Tapenade

2 cups of olives, pitted, chopped
1 T salt packed capers, rinsed and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 anchovy filets (optional), finely chopped
squeeze of lemon juice
2 T olive oil
any good Italian, French or sourdough bread, sliced and toasted crisp

To pit olives, lay a few on a cutting board and press on them firmly with the side of a large knife. Pull out the pits with your fingers. It's a little messy, but you'll find more variety in unpitted olives and they generally taste better. The salted capers have a stronger flavor than their brined cousins; if you can't find them, feel free to substitute.

Combine the olives, capers, garlic, (anchovies) and lemon juice in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil while stirring until the other ingredients hold together. Spread on the bread on its own or with sliced tomato or mozzarella.