David Joachim, who is instrumental in the production of our Fresh Choices cookbook, also played a key role in a Generation Green fund-raising event in March 2003 (see photo below). Here we feature a recipe for Tapenade Phyllo Tarts, one of the recipes he developed for the event, and you get to learn a bit more about him.

Tapenade Phyllo Tarts

Tapenade Phyllo Tarts

Profile:
Laughing Matters Event / David Joachim

Laughing Our Way to a Better World

In March 2003, Nearly 150 supporters attended and greatly enjoyed the humor and social commentary of the comedy show, "Curious George Goes to War." Thanks to our sponsors and food contributors, we were able to raise funds to help support the Healthy Schools Campaign and Illinois Farm to School Initiative while enjoying a delicious, 80% organic meal made from scratch.

Food for the event was donated by Whole Foods Market, Organic Valley, Red Hen Bread, Peterson and Sons Winery. The Illinois Institute of Culinary Arts donated use of their kitchen, while the recipes were developed and cooking was supervised by David Joachim (featured in the photo above, on-stage at the event).

David has written and/or edited more than 20 family-oriented cookbooks and health books, including Prevention’s The Healthy Cook and More Healthy Homestyle Cooking. He is a former editor of Vegetarian Gourmet magazine and has appeared widely on national television and radio, including ABC, Fox, Food Network, Discovery Channel, QVC, and National Public Radio. He edited Steven Raichlen’s Healthy Latin Cooking, which won a James Beard Award and was a finalist for a Julia Child Award. He cooks and gardens in Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

Tapenade Phyllo Tarts

Ingredients
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives

2 tablespoons capers

1 garlic clove, minced

1 cup pine nuts

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups fresh parsley leaves

3 boxes (2.1 ounces each) mini phyllo shells, thawed

Directions:
Put all of the ingredients (except phyllo shells) in a food processor. Blend until the ingredients are finely chopped but not pureed into a paste, 15 to 30 seconds.

Refrigerate in a resealable bag for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Bring to room temperature. Cut off a corner of the bag and pipe about 2 teaspoons the filling into each of 45 phyllo shells. Bake until heated through, 5 minutes.

Makes 45 mini tarts (about 2 cups filling).

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