Cheese And Tapenade: The Perfect Pairing

Tapenade is a salty, briny olive spread that goes well with cheese. The best cheeses to pair with tapenade are soft, creamy cheeses like goat cheese, brie, or fresh mozzarella. For instance, the mild creaminess of baked brie pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the tapenade. Similarly, tapenade can be spread on a baguette slice and topped with goat cheese to make a crostini.

Goat's cheese crostini with honey

Goats Cheese Crostini with Honey

Goats cheese crostini with honey is a delicious and simple appetiser that can be whipped up in minutes. The salty, garlicky tapenade pairs perfectly with the creamy, tangy goat cheese and crunchy toasted baguette slices. Here is a step-by-step guide to making this mouth-watering treat.

Ingredients:

• 1 French baguette
• Goats cheese
• Honey
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Fresh thyme

Optional Ingredients:

• Walnuts
• Garlic butter

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350-400°F (<180°C>). Slice the baguette at an angle into approximately 1/2-ounce slices. Place the slices on a baking tray and spray or brush with olive oil. Bake for 7-12 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Meanwhile, mix the goats cheese with honey. You can add about 2 teaspoons of honey to start with and adjust to your taste. If you would like to add walnuts, crush them and keep them aside.

Once the bread is toasted, spread each slice with the honeyed goats cheese. Top with a spoonful of tapenade, followed by the crushed walnuts. Garnish with thyme and serve.

Tips:

• If you want to add a garlic kick to your crostini, mix softened butter with minced garlic and spread on both sides of the baguette slices before baking.
• If you don't have a food processor, you can chop the tapenade ingredients by hand and mix them in a bowl.
• Get creative with your toppings! Try adding caramelised onions, sauteed mushrooms, or fresh figs.
• You can prepare the goats cheese mixture in advance and store it in an airtight container. Assemble the crostini just before serving for the freshest taste.

Brie crostini

Tapenade is a classic Mediterranean dish, typically made from black olives, capers, and olive oil. It pairs well with a variety of cheeses, including goat cheese, ricotta, cream cheese, and brie.

Now, for the Brie Crostini with Tapenade recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups pitted kalamata olives, drained
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large baguette, cut into even slices
• Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 7-ounce Supreme Brie oval, sliced

Instructions:

• Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
• Prepare the tapenade by adding the olives, capers, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper to a food processor. Pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.
• With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until combined.
• Place the baguette slices on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and spread a layer of brie on each slice. Return to the oven for 2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
• Top each crostini with a spoonful of tapenade.
• Serve with the remaining tapenade on the side, along with extra crackers or crostini.

This Brie Crostini with Tapenade is an excellent appetiser or pre-dinner snack. The mild creaminess of the baked brie pairs perfectly with the salty, garlicky tapenade, creating a delicious flavour combination that your guests will surely enjoy!

Cream cheese alternatives

Tapenade is a classic salty appetizer from Provence, a southeastern region of France that borders the Mediterranean Sea. It is traditionally made from black olives, but recipes have evolved to include green and Kalamata olives, as well as other fruits and vegetables.

When it comes to cheese, tapenade is often paired with cream cheese, brie, or goat cheese. Cream cheese, with its rich and tangy flavor, provides a nice contrast to the salty tapenade. However, if you're looking for a dairy-free alternative to cream cheese, here are some options to consider:

Kite Hill Cream Cheese Alternative: This was the unanimous winner in a dairy-free cream cheese taste test. It has a smooth texture, spreads well, and has a light, natural tang that closely resembles regular cream cheese. It is made with almond milk and contains no artificial preservatives. However, it has had issues with moulding.

Treeline Dairy-Free Cream Cheese: This was the favourite brand for two tasters and was a close second overall. It has a slightly different vibe from dairy cream cheese but offers a well-rounded, lightly tangy taste and rich texture.

Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese: This option has a good texture that is smooth and similar to cream cheese, but it lacks a bit in taste as it is somewhat bland. It can be used for frostings and fillings, and you can add lemon juice to mimic the cream cheese tang.

Follow Your Heart Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Alternative: This alternative has a smooth mouthfeel but a chunky, gelatinous texture that some may not like. It has a good flavour, but it doesn't taste exactly like cream cheese.

Violife Vegan Cream Cheese: This product was too buttery and oily, resembling a butter alternative more than a cream cheese. It melted too much and didn't have the right flavour or tang.

Spero Sunflower Cream Cheese: This alternative is thick but a bit unctuous and softer than regular cream cheese. It has a grainy texture and a strong seedy taste, which wasn't well-liked by tasters.

Miyoko's Cashew Milk Cream Cheese: This option was extremely tart and had a soft, grainy texture that some compared to "weird oily suntan lotion."

Daiya Plant-Based Cream Cheeze: This used to be a well-liked option, but reformulations have changed the product, and it is now disliked by tasters. It is smooth but bland, with a strange sweetness and gelatinous texture.

In addition to these options, there are other dairy-free cream cheeses on the market, such as Go Veggie Vegan Cream Cheese, So Delicious Plant-Based Cream Cheese, and Trader Joe's Vegan Cream Cheese, but they have received mixed or negative reviews.

When choosing a dairy-free cream cheese alternative, it's important to consider your own taste preferences and how you plan to use it. Some alternatives work better for spreading, while others hold up well in cooked or baked recipes.

Ricotta, feta, or Laughing Cow cheese wedges

Tapenade is a classic salty, savoury appetizer, and there are a few different cheeses that can be paired with it. Ricotta, feta, and Laughing Cow cheese wedges are three options that can be served with tapenade, each offering a unique flavour profile and texture.

Ricotta

A fresh, soft cheese, ricotta has a mild, creamy flavour and a light, fluffy texture when whipped. When paired with tapenade, ricotta can help to lighten the earthy flavours of olives and sun-dried tomatoes, creating a well-balanced crostini or crostini topping. To make a ricotta olive crostini, start by preparing the crostini base: slice a French baguette into 1/2-inch slices, brush with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toast the slices in an air fryer or oven until lightly browned. For the topping, combine pitted Kalamata and green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, lemon juice, and olive oil in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. In a separate bowl, whisk together ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh chopped sage until light and fluffy. To assemble, spread the whipped ricotta on the crostini and top with the olive and sun-dried tomato tapenade, garnishing with a small sage leaf.

Feta

Feta is a tangy, salty, and slightly creamy cheese with a crumbly texture. It pairs well with tapenade, especially when made with Kalamata and/or green olives, as the briny, buttery, or wine-like flavours of the olives complement the feta. To make a simple feta and olive tapenade, heat olive oil, garlic, and lemon zest in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes, then allow it to cool. In a serving bowl, combine chopped pitted green and black olives, lemon juice, crumbled feta, and the cooled olive oil. Serve with crusty bread, focaccia, pita bread, or veggie sticks. This tapenade can also be used as a spread in sandwiches or wraps, or as a topping for grilled chicken or fish.

Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges

The Laughing Cow cheese wedges are a popular snack cheese with a creamy texture. While there are no specific recipes found for pairing these cheese wedges with tapenade, their creamy texture and mild flavour could complement the strong, salty flavours of a tapenade. These cheese wedges are typically enjoyed straight from the pack or used as a spread or dip, so they could be served alongside tapenade and crackers, or used as a creamy base on a crostini with tapenade toppings.

Mozzarella balls

Marinated Mozzarella Balls

These make a great, quick and easy party appetiser. Coat ciliegine mozzarella balls in extra-virgin olive oil with herbs, garlic, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes. The bright, savoury flavour of the garlic, lemon, and herbs will saturate the oil, which will soak into the chewy balls of cheese. This is a great, simple, make-ahead dish for parties and gatherings.

Mozzarella and Prosciutto Sandwiches with Tapenade

This recipe combines tapenade with mozzarella balls and prosciutto slices in a sandwich. The tapenade is made from anchovy fillets, capers, garlic, lemon peel, orange peel, Niçoise olives, olive oil, basil, and lemon juice. The tapenade is spread over prosciutto and mozzarella slices in a ficelle or baguette.

Tapenade of Tomatoes and Mozzarella

Place a ball of mozzarella di Bufala cut in half on a plate with tapenade of tomatoes (tomanade) and drizzle with olive oil. Add pepper, a little fleur de sel, and a pinch of thyme and serve chilled.

Frequently asked questions