This recipe is all about assembly. And when you’re having people over at the last minute, having a dish like this on hand is key. You could also serve the tapenade with bread or crackers, instead of the lettuces, for a more portable snack. And tapenade can be made a day ahead, leaving you more time with your guests or family.

　　

Ingredients

12 appetizer servings

　　3 (8-ounce) jars of pitted kalamata olives or cans of black olives, drained

　　3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil

　　5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　3 heads of endive (about 1/2 pound total)

　　6 radicchio leaves

　　

Step 1

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the olives, sun-dried tomatoes with their oil, and the extra-virgin olive oil until well blended but still chunky. Spoon the tapenade into a serving bowl. (The tapenade can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

　　

Step 2

Gently remove the leaves from the endive. Wash the leaves with cold water and dry completely.

　　

Step 3

On a large platter, place the bowl of tapenade in the center. Decoratively arrange the endive leaves and radicchio around the bowl of tapenade, and serve. (The platter of tapenade, endive, and radicchio leaves can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.