Cherry Tomatoes Stuffed with Olive Tapenade

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

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.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings