Recipe

Step 1: Place the figs in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil over high heat.

Step 2: Remove from the heat and let the figs plump up in the water for 15 minutes. Drain well.

Step 3: Place the figs in a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined and finely chopped; do not purée. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight to allow the flavours to meld. (Refrigerated in a tightly sealed jar, the tapenade will keep for at least a week.)

Step 4: Serve the tapenade with slices of baguette or crackers to spread it on.

Note: To make a delicious canapé, spread toasted baguette rounds with a soft and creamy goat cheese. Top the cheese with a spoonful of tapenade. Garnish each canapé with a small, thin slice of pear and a small basil leaf.

See more recipes from Eric Akis.

Reprinted with permission from Eric Akis’s Everyone Can Cook Everything (2012 Whitecap Books).