How to make tomato and tarragon salad with tapenade toast

Capers and a myriad of herbs create a salty and fragrant dip, while fresh tomatoes give this dish a zingy taste

Tapenade is a French olive paste and can be eaten as a dip or spread. This recipe is great for sharing as a starter or light lunch. It will make more tapenade than you’ll need for one meal, but it’s not worth making less, and it keeps well for a few days in the fridge. You could use shop-bought tapenade if you prefer, although making your own is easy and satisfying.

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins

For the tapenade toast

200g pitted black olives
2 tbsp capers (if in brine, soak in water for 20 minutes then drain)
3 preserved anchovies
1 large or 2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
Leaves from 3 thyme sprigs
1 tbsp chopped parsley leaves, plus a little extra for garnishing
Juice of ½ lemon, more to taste
About 5 tbsp olive oil

For the tomato salad

8 large tomatoes (a few more if smaller)
2 pinches of caster sugar
4 tbsp olive oil
Juice from ¼ lemon, more to taste
1 good tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper

To serve

Slices of ciabatta or sourdough, griddled or toasted

First make the tapenade by blitzing the olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and thyme in a food processor, then adding the parsley, lemon juice and just enough oil to make a rough paste. (If you don’t have a food processor, pound the ingredients in a pestle and mortar, then stir in the lemon juice and oil.)

Season to taste: you’ll need little or no salt, as the mixture is already salty from the anchovies.

Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with the sugar. Whisk the remaining olive oil, lemon juice and mustard together. Taste and add more lemon juice or oil if needed. Pour over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and scatter over the tarragon.

Spread the tapenade on to the ciabatta and sprinkle over a little extra parsley. Serve with the tomato salad.

Recipe from riverford.co.uk