Tapenade provençale

Step 1: Squash each olive under the flat of a knife and pull out the stone. Rinse 3 tbsp capers in a sieve and pat them dry. Peel 1 clove garlic and crush it.

Step 2: Put 7 oz black olives, 3 tbsp capers, 1 clove garlic and 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves in a small food processor and pulse 8–10 times, scraping down once, until everything is chopped into small, even crumbs.

Step 3: Mix 1 tbsp lemon juice into ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and pour it in a little at a time, pulsing in short bursts, until the tapenade holds together and looks glossy but still has visible flecks of olive. Common mistake: running the machine until it is smooth; a fine purée turns grey-brown and loses the bite you want.

Step 4: Taste and season with ¼ tsp black pepper. You rarely need salt, because olives and capers bring plenty.

Step 5: Scrape it into a bowl and leave for 30 minutes so the garlic mellows. Serve with toasted 1 baguette and 10 ½ oz raw vegetables. It keeps for a week in the fridge in a jar, under a thin layer of olive oil.