Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Page 63

Drinkable Gazpacho

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This perfect end-of-summer dish brings together the best seasonal produce with a no-muss, no-fuss prep. Think smooth: True gazpacho is made to be sipped as a drink, not eaten with a spoon. For an extra boost of fiber, leave the skin on the cucumber.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ripe red tomatoes
  • 1 green pepper, stemmed and seeded
  • 1 cucumber, peeled
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus more for serving 
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • Pinch of fine sea salt 
  • 3/4 cup cold water, plus more as needed

Directions

Step 1

Cut the vegetables into chunks and add them with the other ingredients to a blender. Process until they turn into a smooth liquid. If it’s too thick, add more water, a tablespoon at a time. Pour into glasses and garnish with a few drops of olive oil and vinegar. 

Yields 4 servings

Herb-Marinated Beef Tenderloin

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Tenderloin is one of the most elegant cuts of meat, wonderful for romantic dinners and other festive occasions. This recipe features the two-step process called “reverse searing.” It yields meat that is uniformly pink from edge to edge. You can make it an hour ahead of time and serve it at room temperature—it’s perfect as the centerpiece of a buffet.

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish 
  • 1 sprig fresh basil, stems and leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh sage, stems and leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 
  • 1/4 cup red wine, such as a Shiraz 
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving 
  • 2-pound center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed 

Directions

Step 1

Strip the thyme and rosemary sprigs, placing the leaves/needles on a cutting board along with the basil, sage, garlic, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt; coarsely chop everything together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the black pepper and the wine. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.  

Step 2

Place the tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours (or overnight), turning the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.  

Step 3

When ready to cook, drain the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, place on a rack in a roasting pan, and let it come to room temperature for up to an hour. Preheat your oven to 250°F. If you have one, insert a remote temperature probe in the thickest part of the meat. Roast the meat until the internal temperature reaches 110°F. If you don’t have a probe, use an instant-read meat thermometer and start checking after an hour. Remove the meat from the oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes. 

Step 4

Meanwhile, preheat a cast-iron grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. (You can also finish the tenderloin on a grill.) Rub the tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sear on all sides until the outside is deeply browned and caramelized and the internal temperature is 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil again. Let rest for 5 minutes. 

Step 5

Carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices, reserving the juices. Shingle the slices on a warmed platter. Drizzle with the juices and additional olive oil and garnish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. 

Yields 6 servings

Olive Oil Cake with Honey Yogurt Cream and Strawberries

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Moist and fairly dense, this fruit-inflected cake is a perfect grand finale to a warm-weather meal. Blueberries can stand in for strawberries.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour (about 5 1/4 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, divided use
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest, divided use
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice (from 2 limes), divided
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 quarts fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt
  • 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
  • 1/4 cup honey

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-inch springform pan with olive oil. Line the bottom of the greased pan with parchment paper, and lightly grease the parchment; set the prepared pan aside.

Step 2

Whisk together the flours, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.

Step 3

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with an electric mixer) beat 1/2 cup of the sugar and the
eggs on medium-high until pale yellow and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Beat in the 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon lime zest, 3 1/2 tablespoons of lime juice, and the vanilla. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until just incorporated.

Step 4

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is dark golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out with crumbs (not wet batter) attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the outer ring, and invert the cake onto the wire rack. Remove the bottom of pan and the parchment; cool the cake completely, about 1 hour.

Step 5

Stir together the strawberries, the remaining 1 teaspoon of lime zest, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar in a medium bowl. Let the fruit stand at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Step 6

Whisk together the yogurt, cream, honey, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of lime juice until incorporated.

Step 7

Top each cake slice with large spoonfuls of the yogurt mixture and strawberries.

Serves 6 — Recipe from foodandwine.com

Raspberry Curd Parfaits

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Extra virgin olive oil gives the berry curd silky richness, no butter needed. It’s delicious layered with rich Greek yogurt and garnished with whole berries. You can also use it as a filling for a chiffon layer cake, as a breakfast treat layered with cooked and cooled rolled oats, or simply as is, just as you’d enjoy a mousse. 

Ingredients

  • 1 pint (12 ounces) fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
  • Juice of 1 small lemon
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • 4 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 cups Greek yogurt

Directions

Step 1

Puree the raspberries with a hand blender and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice and cornstarch until smooth. 

Step 2

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in the sugar, berries, cornstarch-lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. 

Step 3

Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk the mixture until it reaches a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

Step 4

Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass bowl or container and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing in the fridge to thicken further, about 4 hours or overnight.

Step 5

To assemble the parfaits, alternate layers of curd and yogurt in highball glasses and top with a few berries.

Yields 4 servings