Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Appetizers Page 20

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

Dukkah-Spiced Yogurt Dip with Toasted Pita

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Dukkah (pronounced dook-ah) has Middle Eastern origins but is a very popular seasoning in Australia. It is also good on fish, raw vegetables, and pita bread toasted with olive oil.

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cup hazelnuts or almonds
  • 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
  • 1 tablespoon whole dried coriander seed
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon fennel seed
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried peppercorns
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried orange or lemon peel
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
  • Extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Step 1

In a small, dry skillet over low heat, briefly toast the nuts, shaking the pan often, until fragrant. Add the coriander, cumin, and fennel seeds, sesame seeds, peppercorns, and orange peel. Toast for one minute more, then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in about 1 teaspoon of salt.

Step 2

Let the mixture cool. Crush it using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. (Avoid overprocessing to a paste-like texture.) Mix the yogurt with salt and lemon juice to taste. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of dukkah on top and drizzle generously with olive oil. Store any remaining dukkah in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from loveandlemons.com