Radishes with Olive "Tapenade"

Just over a year ago, I had dinner with a colleague in New York's West Village. The meal began with a sort of amuse-bouche of fresh radishes and a wonderfully salty tapenade. A year later, I still remember the tiny hors d'oeuvres so vividly, that I thought I would create my own version in tribute . They may not be the most beautiful thing to look at, but the combination of the spicy radish and the briny olives is delightful. The original version clearly included anchovy, but since some of us are not fans of the tiny fish, I chose to omit them and add a couple of non-traditional ingredients to my spread. Feel free to adjust the proportions to fit your taste.

Radishes with Olive "Tapenade"

1 bunch fresh radishes
1 small container fresh olives with pits
1/2 T capers
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 - 2 T good extra virgin olive oil
1 T grated parmesan
1 T breadcrumbs or a handful of croutons

Wash the radishes and remove the tops. Cut a small slice from each end to create a flat surface, then cut through the middle to create two radish halves.

Pit the olives. You can use mostly black, such as kalamata olives, or a mixture of black and green. It is better to choose fresh, though, (as opposed to jarred) and not to cheat by buying pitted olives, since they will be more dry.

Place the olives, capers, and lemon juice in a food processor or blender and pulse a few times. Then, stream in the olive oil while pulsing, to create a paste. Finally, add the parmesan and the breadcrumbs or croutons and pulse until incorporated.

Use a spoon to place some of the olive onto each radish. Or, just dip the radishes into a bowl of the spread for an easy snack.