Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 2

Roasted Whole Carrots

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Carrots in various hues make a glorious presentation.

Ingredients

  • 12 carrots, scrubbed or peeled and trimmed as needed
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar of Modena, plus more for drizzling
  • Maldon sea salt flakes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with heat-resistant parchment paper. Add the carrots in a row and toss well with the olive oil, then sprinkle on the salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes, rotating the pan after 15 minutes. Drizzle on the balsamic and roast for another 10 minutes or until the balsamic caramelizes. The tip of a knife should easily pierce the carrots; if needed, roast for another 5 minutes. Transfer to a large serving platter, drizzle with more olive oil and vinegar as desired, and sprinkle on a few Maldon flakes.

Serves 12

Focaccia con Patate

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

In Southern Italy, mashed potatoes are often worked into focaccia dough, but I like to use thin slices of potato as a topping. Fingerling potatoes yield perfectly sized discs, but you can also use creamer or new red potatoes. Getting the slices as thin as possible is more important than the diameter so that they’ll cook and crisp in the time it takes to bake the dough. Serve as an appetizer or even as a hearty side dish at holiday meals.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
  • 2 cups warm water, between 105°F and 115°F
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 9 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 5 cups all-purpose, bread, or 00 flour, plus more for kneading
  • 2 fingerling or small red potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 teaspoons 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. Turn off the mixer and allow the yeast to bloom (get foamy), about 5 to 8 minutes.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons 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 3

Pour 1 tablespoon 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 4

Pour 3 tablespoons 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 the oven
to 450°F.

Step 5

Use the fine slicing blade of your food processor or a mandoline to very thinly slice the potatoes. Toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and the rosemary.

Step 6

When the dough has risen and is ready to bake, go over the indentations if needed. Arrange the potato slices over the top, drizzle on the final 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle on the rosemary and coarse salt. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until the focaccia is golden and pulls away from the sides of the pan and the potatoes are tender. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 10

Fabulous Focaccia

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

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

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

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