Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Spanish Olive Tapenade

Ingredients

For the tapenade:

• 1/2 cup Spanish olives with pimento
• 1 1/2 teaspoons drained capers
• 1 teaspoon brandy, preferably a Spanish brandy such as Solera Gran Reserva
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 32 small cherry tomatoes
• Chopped fresh parsley for garnish

Directions

Make the tapenade: in a food processor, pulse the olives until chopped fine. Add the remaining tapenade ingredients and pulse until olives are minced.

With a sharp knife, slice the stem end (1/4-inch down) and the bottom (1/8-inch up) from each tomato and discard. Using a 1/4 teaspoon, remove the juice and seeds from each tomato half, leaving the outside shell intact. Spoon a generous 1/4 teaspoon of the tapenade into each shell and garnish with the parsley.