Tapenade usually involves olives, or as our friend Michael Harren calls them, Satan’s grapes. I am with Michael on this. It must be in the name. Ethan, however, thinks olives are the greatest thing in the world and has even brought our friend Walt, who used to hate them, over to his side. Because our Mushroom Tapenade doesn’t have any olives in it, it isn’t really a tapenade, but I didn’t know what else to call it. This recipe came to us by way of my mom. Much like the Sundried Tomato and Basil Spread, my mom often serves this as an appetizer when she is having company. It is quick and easy to make, yet the end result seems like it took forever. No one needs to know how easy this really is. You can use an assortment of mushrooms or all one kind. If you are using only one kind of mushroom, pick one with a deep flavor like a Cremini rather than a white button mushroom. Also, make sure you do not add the salt too soon, or the mushrooms won’t brown as well. You want them to release all their liquid before you salt them. The left overs, if there are any, are great in a tofu scramble, as a pizza topping or even in a sandwich.  The best thing is you can make this ahead of time, keep it covered in the fridge until you need it and then just brought to room temperature before serving.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Yield: about 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 TBL extra virgin olive oil
1 pound assorted mushrooms, diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 TBL fresh Italian parsley, minced

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the mushroom and sauté until they release their liquid and are reduced to half the original volume. Keep sautéing until the liquid has evaporated. You may need to add a little more oil to keep the mushrooms from sticking to the pan. Keep sautéing until the mushrooms are nicely browned.

3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and stir in the parley.

4. Serve warm or at room temperature with either toasted pita chips or crostini.