Olive-Me & Co Peppered Tuna with Olive Salsa

Recipe adapted from Food & Drink magazine – Winter 2015

Serves 4 as a main, or 6 as an appetizer

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• ¼ cup any plain Olive-Me & Co EVOO 
• 1 cup Nicoise or other black olives, pitted and quartered
• 2 Tbs capers
• ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 tsp lemon rind
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 1/2 lbs sushi grade tuna, at least 1 inch thick
• salt
• 3 Tbs finely ground black pepper
• 1 Tbs any plain Olive-Me & Co EVOO

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss cherry tomatoes with 1 Tbs Olive-Me & Co EVOO and place on baking sheet/. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until tomatoes burst. Remove them from oven.
2. Coarsely chop tomatoes and combine with remaining Olive-Me & Co EVOO, olives, capers, parsley and lemon rind in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Slice tuna into four  2 ½ x 1 inch rectangles. Season with salt and let sit for 10 minutes/ Roll each loin in pepper, coating all sides.
4. Heat Olive-Me & Co EVOO in a frying pan over high heat. Add 2 pieces of tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side for very rare. Cook for 3 minutes on each side for less rare.  Transfer to a plate and reserve. Repeat with remaining pieces of tuna. Serve tuna with olive salsa.

Note: This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.