Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Appetizers Page 20

Roasted Peppers with Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This simple but jewel-like appetizer or side dish can be served hot or at room temperature. Don’t forget the last drizzle of olive oil for a spectacular presentation!

Ingredients

  • 3 bell peppers of similar size, any color
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse sale (kosher or sea)
  • 1 cup panko or other bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon merquén (see Note) or smoked paprika
  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil for easier clean-up. Place the bell peppers upright on a cutting board. Working around the stems and avoiding the seedy core, slice straight downward to remove 4 lobes from each pepper. With a paring knife, carefully trim off any white ribs, flush with the pepper.

Step 2

Arrange the pepper lobes, skin side down, on the baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and season with salt.

Step 3

In a medium bowl, gently mix the panko, Parmesan, granulated garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with your hands. Using your fingertips, pat about 2 tablespoons of the breadcrumb mixture onto each piece of pepper. Drizzle the peppers with another tablespoon of oil.

Step 4

Bake the peppers until bottoms are deeply browned and breadcrumbs are golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Step 5

Transfer the peppers to a platter. Drizzle with more olive oil. Sprinkle with the parsley and merquén. Serve with lemon wedges.

Note: Merquén (sometimes spelled merkén) is a smoky spice blend popular in Chilean cuisine. You can find it at specialty spice markets or online.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, May 2018

Portuguese Green Broth

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Humble ingredients define one of Portugal’s most beloved soups, caldo verde. It traditionally contains potatoes, olive oil, kale or Portuguese cabbage, and salt. For a vegetarian or vegan version, omit the sausage.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 medium yellow onion or large leek, finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large russet potato, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered, and cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 6 cups vegetable or other stock
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale or collard greens, tough stems removed, leaves roughly chopped
  • 12 ounces cooked linguiça or other garlicky pork sausage, sliced
  • Minced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion (or leek) and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes, adding olive oil as necessary to keep the mixture loose and moist.

Step 1

Add the potatoes and stock and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add the kale and continue to cook until the russet potato slices have completely broken down (you can press them with a spoon or potato masher for an even thicker texture), the Yukon Golds are tender, the greens have softened, and the soup has thickened to a creamy consistency, 25 to 30 minutes. Stir in the sausage. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper and serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with chives, if desired.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from seriouseats.com

Marinated Idiazábal Cheese with Rosemary

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

From Basque country, Idiazábal cheese is made from sheeps’ milk and is usually smoked. Feel free to substitute another aged semi-hard cheese, such as Manchego, in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 pound Idiazábal cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Place the garlic, cheese, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf in a bowl or lidded wide-mouthed jar.

Step 2

Pour enough olive oil over the cheese and other ingredients to submerge them.

Step 3

Cover and leave at room temperature for several hours or overnight.

Step 4

Spear the cheese on toothpicks and serve on a plate or platter.

Serves 4 to 6 as a tapa — Recipe from José Andrés via leitesculinaria.com

Caramelized Onion Dip

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Like stirring risotto, caramelizing onions is a labor of love. But your patience will be rewarded when you taste this spectacular dip, so much better than commercial onion dips. Don’t skip the drizzle of olive oil on top!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 5 pounds Spanish onions, peeled and diced
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 16 ounces sour cream
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 1 small bunch chives, minced
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

In a large pot or skillet, warm the 4 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook them until they’re very soft and golden brown, stirring as needed, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool the onions to room temperature.

Step 2

Place the onions, cream cheese, sour cream, and half the lemon juice and zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. If desired, add more lemon zest and juice. Fold in most of the chives. Scrape the dip into a serving bowl and mound attractively. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining chives. Serve with vegetables, crackers, potato chips, or crostini.

Serves 6 to 8 — Recipe adapted from food52.com