I had some gorgeous olives and thought what a wonderful tapenade they’d make.  My husband told me that he usually only uses Kalamata olives because they’re so easy to pit and after trying to pit the nicoise and green olives, I could see why.  My eldest son says he only likes olives in tapenade. 

In a small chopper (like a junior size cuisinart) I blended the handful of mixed olives (pitted) with one garlic clove, 1 Tbsp fresh thyme, 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (so much easier to keep and use than canned anchovies), 1 Tsp capers, ground pepper.  Blend while adding olive oil until a rough paste.  My kids loved it with crackers and pita chips.  It can also be used on toasts, chicken panini and served with lamb and other strong meats.