Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Uncategorized

Fresh Herb Marinade

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This marinade imparts deep flavor to meat, especially when marinated overnight. Consider the following herbs a suggestion—make this recipe your own by combining your favorites, fresh or dried. Note: This Condimento Barili Exclusivi marinade is excellent for beef, lamb, and game; you can adapt it to chicken, pork, and fish by using Condimento Bianco Senape from my collection instead of Barili Exclusivi.

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1/4 teaspoon dried
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 sprig fresh basil
  • 3 fresh sage leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1/4 cup Condimento Barili Exclusivi 
  • 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

If using fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs, strip the leaves and place them on a cutting board along with the tarragon, basil, sage, garlic, and salt. Coarsely chop them all together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the vinegar and black pepper, then slowly whisk in the olive oil until thoroughly blended. 

Yields about 2/3 cup

Easy Potato Gnocchi

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Intimidated by the idea of making pasta at home? Gnocchi is a happy compromise because you don’t need a pasta machine or endless rolling to achieve delectable results. A 2:1 potato to flour ratio works best; for accuracy, measure with a kitchen scale. For the smoothest dough, use a potato ricer, a handy and inexpensive tool (see the “Quick Kitchen Nugget” in Olive Oil Hunter News). 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds Yukon gold or red potatoes, peeled
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 pound all-purpose or 00 pasta flour, plus more for shaping
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 teaspoons fine sea salt, divided use

Directions

Step 1

Peel and quarter the potatoes. Steam them on a steaming rack placed over a few inches of water in a large, covered pot until tender, about 25 minutes. The water should stay at a simmer; check halfway through to see if you need to add more. 

Step 2

Let the potatoes cool slightly and then press them through a ricer set over a large bowl, working in batches. Add in the egg, flour, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon of salt, and use your hands to mix the ingredients well and knead into a ball. Dust a clean section of your countertop with a handful of flour. Turn out the dough, shape it into a log, and cut it into 6 even sections. One at a time, roll each section into a rope about 1 inch in diameter, lightly flouring your hands as needed. Use a bench scraper to cut each rope into 1-inch pieces.  

Step 3

Bring a very large pot of water to a boil. Add the rest of the salt and the gnocchi. Lower the heat to a medium boil and cook until the gnocchi rise to the surface, just a few minutes. Scoop them out with a spider strainer, and top with sauce as desired.

Yields 4 servings

Spanish Mixed Green Salad (Ensalata Mixta)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

A large platter of greens studded with vegetables is a popular entrante (starter) in Spanish homes or restaurants. Depending on what you add to it (avocados, asparagus, corn kernels, etc.), it can be the meal itself. Feel free to customize it according to what you have on hand.

Ingredients

  • 1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed and spun dry
  • 2 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
  • 1 medium seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and sliced into 1/4-inch strips
  • 1/4 to 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 medium carrot, peeled, trimmed, and grated
  • One 6-ounce can premium water-packed tuna, drained
  • One 14-ounce can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • 2 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar, or more to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • Crusty bread or rolls, for serving (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Tear the lettuce into bite-size pieces and arrange as a bed on a large platter with a deep well.

Step 2

Arrange the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion, and carrot decoratively on top.

Step 3

Break the tuna into chunks with a fork and scatter evenly on top of the salad. Top with the artichoke hearts, eggs, and olives. (The undressed salad can be covered and refrigerated for an hour or two.)

Step 4

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl and whisk until emulsified. Taste, adding more oil, vinegar, or salt and pepper, if desired. Drizzle over the salad. Serve immediately with crusty bread, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from thespruce.com

Short Ribs Dijon-style

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This dish gets even better over time. Feel free to make it a day or two in advance and reheat slowly in the oven. 

Ingredients

  • 1 bottle of good-quality red wine, such as Beaujolais Nouveau
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 8 beef short ribs, each measuring about 4″ by 3″
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 12 shallots, peeled 
  • ½ cup best-quality Dijon mustard
  • 1 28-ounce can of plum tomatoes 
  • Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

In a nonreactive saucepan, reduce the wine by 75 percent and set aside. Heat a heavy skillet large enough to hold the short ribs. While the pan is getting hot, lightly dredge the ribs in the flour; shake off any excess. Add the olive oil to the hot pan and then the ribs, searing them on all sides.

Step 2

Transfer the ribs to a bowl next to your cooktop and add the shallots to the skillet; cook them over low heat until tender and slightly caramelized. Then transfer them to a separate bowl next to your cooktop. Deglaze the pan with the reduced wine and whisk in the mustard. Return the ribs to the skillet, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for two hours.

Step 3

Drain the canned tomatoes, reserving the juice in case the sauce becomes too thick. Add the tomatoes to the skillet along with the shallots and simmer, partially covered, for another hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Yields 4 servings