Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Explore Recipes Sides & Salads Page 34

Sicilian-Style Grilled Artichokes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Longtime friend of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, author and TV host Steven Raichlen, shared this recipe from his forthcoming book, How to Grill Vegetables. It pays homage to Italians’ love of grilled artichokes. Here, this delectable botanical (yes, artichokes are technically flowers) are grilled directly in the embers of a wood or charcoal re.

Ingredients

  • 4 large artichokes
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/3 cup packed fresh mint leaves, stemmed and finely chopped
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling during grilling and for serving
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Step 1

Trim the stem off each artichoke. Using kitchen scissors, cut the points off the leaves. (This is optional and most Sicilians don’t bother, but it does remove the sharp barbs.) Turn each artichoke upside down (stem end up) and smash it against your work surface a half dozen times to spread open the leaves.

Step 2

Stuff each artichoke with garlic and mint, forcing both between the leaves. Generously—and we mean generously—drizzle each artichoke with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Meanwhile, set up your grill for ember-grilling. Rake out the coals in an even layer. Fan off the loose ash with a folded newspaper.

Step 4

Stand the artichokes on the embers on their stem ends. Grill until the bottoms are charred and the flesh is tender. Using long-handled tongs, rotate the artichokes from time to time so they cook evenly. Turn them on their sides to char the outside leaves. Total grilling time will be 15 to 30 minutes. Use a metal skewer to test for doneness: It should pierce the artichoke easily.

Step 5

Transfer the artichokes to a rimmed sheet pan with tongs. Using heat proof gloves and a paring knife, scrape any really burnt parts off the bottom and remove any really charred outside leaves. Transfer the artichokes to wide shallow bowls, drizzle with more olive oil, and dig in.

Serves 4 — Recipe from How to Grill Vegetables by Steven Raichlen (Workman, April 2021)

Ribollita

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

While you can make Ribollita your own by adding in other vegetables, three ingredients define this soup: cannellini beans, hearty (and stale) Tuscan bread, and Tuscan kale. If you’ve been saving your Parmigiano-Reggiano rinds, now is the perfect time to use two of them!

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
  • 2 medium onions, diced 
  • 4 large carrots, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
  • 1 large bunch Tuscan kale
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 6 cups vegetable stock or water 
  • One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 2 pieces of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind, if available
  • 3 cups cooked cannellini beans, homemade or two 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained  
  • 2 or more cups of hand-torn stale Tuscan bread
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Step 1

Heat a Dutch oven or stockpot, and when hot, add the olive oil, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat to soften but not brown the vegetables. Sprinkle on the salt to help them release their liquid. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the black and red pepper and the herbs; stir and then add the water or stock, the canned tomatoes with all their liquid, and the cheese rinds if available. Bring to a simmer and add the beans. Simmer for 30 minutes, and then add the bread. Cook for another 10 minutes to break down the bread a bit.

Step 2

To serve, ladle into bowls, drizzle on a generous amount of olive oil, and finish with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Serves 10

Kale Salad with Grana Padano

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Tuscan kale is sold under several names and might be labeled dinosaur kale, black kale, cavolo nero, or lacinato kale. Grana Padano is an aged cow’s milk cheese from Emilia-Romagna. If you can’t find it, substitute Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound Tuscan kale
  • 1/2 cup shaved Grana Padano
  • 1/4 cup shelled green pistachios
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1 small clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

Directions

Step 1

Remove the tough ribs from the kale and slice the kale leaves into 1-inch ribbons; place in a large salad bowl. Add the Grana Padano and nuts. Whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Pour over the salad and toss.

Serves 4 — Recipe courtesy of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club