Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Fabulous Focaccia

Flatbreads like focaccia are very forgiving—you don’t need to be an expert baker to create this crispy-on-the-outside, spongy-on-the-inside Italian classic. In fact, it’s the perfect beginner recipe to take the mystery out of dough-making. Plus, you can customize the toppings to your taste—slivered onions are at the top of the list for many. Leftover squares can be sliced horizontally and turned into panini.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
  • 2 cups warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use, plus more for dipping
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 cups all-purpose, bread, or 00 flour, plus more for kneading
  • Provençal Rosemary
  • Very coarse sea salt

Directions

Step 1

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the yeast, water, and honey for a few seconds. Allow the yeast to bloom (get foamy), about 5 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the fine salt, and flour, and mix until a sticky dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead until smooth and elastic, about 7 minutes. The dough will still be somewhat sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl as you lift it. If it’s too sticky to handle, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, bloom the yeast, water, and honey in a large bowl. Add the olive oil and salt and then the flour, mixing with a large spatula and then with your hands. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured countertop, flour your hands, and knead until smooth, about 7 minutes. 

Step 2

Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a clean, large bowl. With lightly floured hands, form the dough into a ball and roll it in the olive oil. Place the bowl in a warm spot in your kitchen and cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise until doubled in volume, about an hour. (If you poke it with a fingertip, it should spring back right away.)

Step 3

Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil into a 13×9 metal cake pan and rotate the pan to coat it well. Punch down the dough and turn it into the pan. Use your fingertips to press it out to the edges and into the corners of the pan. Use your fingertips or knuckles to make a pattern of indentations in the dough. Cover the pan with your kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes while you preheat your oven to 450°F.

Step 4

Just before baking, go over the indentations if needed. Drizzle the final 2 tablespoons of oil over the top of the dough and sprinkle on the rosemary needles and coarse salt as desired. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the focaccia is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 5 minutes, then cut and serve with olive oil for dipping. 

Yields 10 generous servings

Essential Mashed Potatoes

Tiny new potatoes are made even creamier by adding olive oil, butter, and great spices. Note: All bolded spices are included in the new spice collection from the T. J. Robinson Curated Culinary Selections.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds creamer or mini red potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided use, plus more to taste
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk
  • 1 teaspoon freshly-ground Vine-Ripened Black Peppercorns,plusmore to taste
  • 2 teaspoons Purple Shallot Powder
  • Savory Black Garlic

Directions

Cut the potatoes in half and place them in a pot of boiling water with the tablespoon of salt. Boil until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the teaspoon of salt, the olive oil, butter, half-and-half (or milk), black pepper, and shallot powder and mash the potatoes, thoroughly blending in the other ingredients. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the black garlic.

Yields 6 servings

Cold Seafood Salad

You can enhance this medley, perfect for a light lunch or dinner, with steamed mussels or, for pure indulgence, lobster chunks.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/2 pound cleaned calamari, cut into rings 
  • 1 pound sea scallops, preferably the dry type
  • 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small red onion, cut into rings
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon Yuzu Rice Wine Vinegar
  • Juice of half a lemon, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Prepare an ice bath: Set out a very large bowl and fill it halfway with water, then add 2 cups of ice. 

Step 2

Boil the shrimp in a large pot of water until pink, about 5 minutes; use a large strainer to scoop them out and into the ice bath to cool. Add the calamari rings to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes; use the strainer to scoop them out and into the ice bath. Turn the heat in the cooking pot down to a simmer, add the scallops, cover, and take off the heat; wait 4 minutes, and then use the strainer to scoop them out and into the ice bath. After 5 minutes, drain the seafood and place in a serving bowl along with the tomatoes and onion rings.

Step 3

Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Add the parsley, then pour over the seafood. Toss lightly, taste, and season with pepper and more lemon juice as desired.

Yields 4 servings

Tabbouleh

This salad features bulgur, a versatile whole grain that’s made from cracked wheat and packed with protein and fiber (it’s also great folded into just-roasted vegetables). This zesty dish can be a side or a meatless meal.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup uncooked bulgur 
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 tablespoons Condimento Bianco Menta
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
  • 2 ounces shelled walnuts
  • 2 large ripe tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes

Directions

Step 1

Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and add the bulgur. Simmer, according to package directions, until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes, watching carefully toward the end to avoid scorching. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Step 2

In a large bowl, make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. 

Step 3

Roughly chop the parsley, mint, and nuts and add to the bowl with the dressing. Coarsely chop the tomatoes (if using cherry tomatoes, halve them) and add along with the bulgur, folding them in well. Taste and add more salt and pepper as desired. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. 

Yields 4 servings