Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 31

Grilled Carrots with Avocado and Mint

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chile is one of the world’s largest exporters of avocados (called palta), after the Quechuan word for “hanging weight”, but some 30 percent of the crop stays in the country and is used in many dishes. The pairing of grilled carrots with palta may seem unusual, but extra virgin olive oil presides over a beautiful marriage!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise (seed if you want a milder chile)
  • One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots with tops (preferably multi-colored), scrubbed, halved lengthwise, tops trimmed to about 1-inch
  • 2 ripe but firm avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into slices or irregular chunks
  • 1/2 cup fresh mint, flat-leaf parsley, or cilantro leaves

Directions

Step 1

Set up your grill for direct grilling and heat to medium. (Alternatively, cook the carrots on the stovetop using a cast iron griddle, skillet, or grill pan.)

Step 2

Toast the cumin seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Let them cool.

Step 3

Coarsely crush the cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle or with the flat side of a chef’s knife. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and honey.

Step 4

Whisk in 1/4 cup of olive oil until combined, then stir in the chile and ginger. Season with salt. Let the mixture sit until you’re ready to serve, which will give the chile and ginger time to infuse the sauce. Transfer to a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Step 5

Toss the carrots with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Remove carrots from the baking sheet and grill directly on the grill grate, turning occasionally, until lightly charred in spots and tender, 14 to 18 minutes. Immediately transfer the carrots to the sauce. Toss to coat; season with additional salt, if desired.

Step 6

Arrange the avocado and carrots on a platter with a deep well. Spoon any remaining sauce over them, then top with mint. Serve the carrots warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from bonappetit.com

Chilean Salsa (Pebre)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

No collection of Chilean recipes would be complete without pebre. Every cook, it seems, has their own version. If you want to tame the onion, soak it in cold water for about 30 minutes, then drain well. Serve the salsa with bread, meat, seafood, or eggs.

Lilly, the talented cook/housekeeper at the Don Rafael farm in Chile’s Lontue Valley, shared her recipe for Chile’s favorite condiment during one of our many visits to the farm. It’s best, she says, when made less than 2 hours ahead.

Ingredients

  • 8 scallions, trimmed, white and green parts thinly sliced
  • 4 fresh aji or serrano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced
  • 1 medium bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems chopped
  • 1/2 clove garlic, finely minced
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) to taste

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, peppers, cilantro, garlic, olive oil, water, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate if not using immediately.

Makes about 1 1/4 cups — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Asian Slaw

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

As we finally get the OK to get back to normal, a fun first step is a backyard get-together—great food, great friends, great fun! It’s one of the things I’ve missed the most. When I’m menu planning, I love to include one of my favorite sides, boldly flavored Asian slaw, easy to prepare but so intensely delicious. It also goes with everything, from burgers to pulled pork. And you can make it a few hours in advance—that’s enough time for the flavors to meld, while the slaw still remains crisp. Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the dressing:

  • 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime zest
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons peeled and finely minced fresh ginger
  • 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
  • 1/2 to 1 red jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and finely minced

For the slaw:

  • 1 medium head Napa or Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
  • 2 carrots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into matchsticks
  • 3 scallions, trimmed; white and green parts thinly sliced on a sharp diagonal
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Directions

Step 1

For the dressing, whisk together the rice wine vinegar, lime juice and zest, brown sugar, and soy sauce in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and sesame oil. Stir in the ginger, garlic, and jalapeño—half of it for mild heat, all of it for more heat.

Step 2

To assemble the slaw, toss the cabbage, carrots, and scallions in a large bowl. Add the dressing, and toss to lightly coat. Top with the cilantro leaves and peanuts if you’re using them.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Cauliflower Caponata

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

As you know by now, I love all foods Mediterranean, and caponata is a wonderful dish that melds many flavors of the region. Traditionally the main ingredient is eggplant, but I’m super excited to share a wonderful variation with you that capitalizes on the wild popularity of cauliflower. As a cruciferous veg, cauliflower gets high marks for its nutrients, and its mild taste really lets the sweet and savory ingredients in this recipe come through. Caponata is often served as an appetizer, but it’s also a wonderful main dish when you want something light. I love to mound it on grilled bread slices for a fast bruschetta or serve it in a bowl surrounded by bell pepper sections to use as dippers—easy-peasy when company’s coming over. Enjoy!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup golden raisins
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup diced celery hearts or inner stalks of a full head
  • 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 to 6 peperoncini, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
  • 2 tablespoons brined capers, drained
  • Zest and juice of one lemon
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan or in the microwave and pour on top of the raisins. Soak for 30 minutes to plump them and infuse flavor. In the meantime, bring a pot of salted water to boil and blanch the cauliflower for 90 seconds, strain, and cool to room temperature in a large bowl.

Step 2

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 1/4 cup of olive oil, the garlic, bell pepper, red onion, celery, and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for several minutes, stirring frequently, until the bell pepper is tender-crisp and the onion and celery are translucent. Remove from the heat and pour over the cauliflower. Add the raisins and vinegar to the cauliflower mixture along with the peperoncini, pine nuts, capers, remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Gently mix the ingredients. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. It keeps for 5-7 days in the fridge.

Yields 6 appetizer servings