Pita Wedges with Green Olive Tapenade

The secret to this Mediterranean inspired appetizer
is to use good quality green olives.
Look for a brine cured version such as Cerignola,
Manzanillo, Picholine, Provencal, Sevillano or Sicilian.

Ingredients:
3 whole-wheat (whole-meal) pita breads,
6 inches in diameter, each cut into 8 wedges
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled and seeded, then finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup pitted green olives, rinsed, drained and roughly chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Arrange the pita bread wedges in a
single layer on a baking sheet.
Bake until crisp and lightly golden,
about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a small frying pan, heat the
olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the shallot and saute
until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano
and the red pepper flakes, if using,
and saute until the tomatoes
are tender, about 2 minutes.
Add the wine and slowly bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer,
stirring often, until the liquid
has evaporated, about 6 minutes.
The mixture will be thick.
Remove from the heat,
spoon the mixture into a small bowl
and let cool completely.
When the tomato mixture has
cooled to room temperature,
add the olives and lemon zest.
Stir to combine. The tapenade may be made ahead,
covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
Bring to room temperature before using.
Spoon 2 teaspoons of the tapenade
onto each pita wedge, sprinkle evenly
with the parsley and divide among
individual plates — 4 wedges per plate.
Serve immediately.