Black Olive and Reishi Mushroom Dip

Olive-lovers will swoon over this silky, salty, savoury dip. Olives are one of my all-time favourite foods. It must be the Italian blood of my ancestors! My husband, Caspar, and I tended his parents’ olive grove of about 80 trees in the south of France for two years. I must say I loved it. I found the work quite peaceful, even though it was hard, physical effort. With the pruning, carting, raking and burning of the pruned branches, as well as brush-cutting between the rows and eventually harvesting, it was a big job. But there was something about the energy of the trees themselves that gave off an air of calm. The olive branch is a symbol of peace, I suppose, but maybe the fact that I’ve always adored olives so much helped energise me in those long winter months. The picturesque views of the Aniane Plain were also pretty special. With the patchwork landscape of neighbouring olive groves and vineyards, woven in spring-green or autumn-red, as far as the eye could see – and dotted with farmhouses made of stone and wood – I constantly felt like I was in a painting. This is a must-make for the olive-lovers and the Mediterranean daydreamers like me. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Brazil nuts
• 1⁄2 cup pitted black olives
• 1-2 tablespoons reishi mushroom powder*
• 1⁄4 cup lemon juice
• 1 small clove garlic
• 1⁄4 cup cold-pressed olive oil, or a mix of olive and hempseed oils
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
• 1 tablespoon unpasteurised brown rice miso paste*

Raw crackers, fresh crusty bread, cucumber and tomato slices, for serving * You’ll find these ingredients at your local Santos Organics store or online.

Method:

1. Place the Brazil nuts in a small food processor or blender and process until they form a coarse meal; a little texture is good in this, but don’t make the mixture too chunky!
2. Add the remaining ingredients and process briefly into an evenly mixed, grainy paste.
3. Spoon the dip into a large jar or bowl and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours to stiffen.
4. Then serve chilled with raw crackers, fresh crusty bread, cucumber and tomato slices (or it’s great on sandwiches, burgers or toast).

Keeps for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Shared with love by....   For more recipes and to purchase 'Passion' or ‘Hungry’ with over 150+ recipes go to http://organicpassioncatering.com/index.php/books @organicpassion (insta) https://www.facebook.com/organicpassioncatering/ https://www.facebook.com/AntheaAmore.author/