Kalamata Artichoke Dip

I did it again . . . I invited friends over for dinner, planned the meal, went grocery shopping, and about an hour before they were going to arrive, I realized it might be nice to have an appetizer to snack on before dinner.  Up until then, I hadn't thought at all about making an appetizer so it was off to the pantry . . . I usually have chips and salsa but it wasn't a great choice with the Thai main course.  What I ended up making was not very Thai either but it was easy and super tasty.  I like salty olive dips and tapenades and I was pretty proud with how this turned out.  I served it with carrots, celery, and crackers (what I had on hand - more raw veggies would be good).

A couple of notes:  The more finely you chop the olives, artichokes and herbs, the smoother consistency you'll get.  You could also put the olives & artichokes in a chopper or food processor.  Taste before adding any more salt.  Other kinds of olives would probably work just fine.  You could easily substitute plain yogurt for the sour cream or maybe plain hummus.  Add more sour cream if the dip is too chunky or too salty for your taste.

Kalamata Artichoke Dip (makes about 1.5 cups of dip)

1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/2 c. chopped artichoke hearts (canned or jarred, drained)
2T chopped cilantro
1T chopped green onions
1T chopped italian parsley
1/4 c. sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix well and refrigerate for a half hour or so before serving.