Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
holiday

Olive Oil and Kale Mashed Potatoes

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Are you expecting a dairy-free guest? These rustic potatoes will “wow” them. And the final picturesque drizzle of fresh extra virgin olive oil makes the potatoes Instagram-worthy.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds washed, unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 1/4 cup scallion, trimmed, white and green parts finely sliced crosswise
  • 4 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale (1 small bunch)
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Pinches of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Place the potatoes, garlic, and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Step 2

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil, the scallions, and kale, and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

Step 3

Use a potato masher to coarsely mash the potatoes and garlic. With a rubber spatula, fold in the 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, the kale, scallions, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Continue folding until creamy, adding up to 1/2 cup more cooking liquid and additional drizzles of olive oil, if desired. Season to taste with up to 1/2 teaspoon more salt and pinches of red pepper flakes, if desired. Serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from loveandlemons.com

Grilled Pear Salad with Greens and Port Vinaigrette

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Peaches or apricots are delicious alternatives to the pears. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons Pear Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon port wine (or more vinegar)
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste 
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • 8 cups mixed greens, such as romaine lettuce, endive, radicchio, and arugula, torn, chopped, or sliced 
  • 3 ripe pears, such as Bosc, Bartlett, or d’Anjou 
  • 3 tablespoons mascarpone or another soft, creamy cheese 
  • 1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts, chopped 
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds for garnish (optional) 

Directions

Step 1

Make the vinaigrette: In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, port, honey, and the ¼ teaspoons of salt and black pepper, and shake vigorously until emulsified. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Pour 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette onto a shallow plate and reserve the remainder. 

Step 2

Divide the salad greens among six plates. Cut each pear in half and remove the core. Dip the cut sides in the plated vinaigrette. Set up your grill for direct grilling. Grill the pears, cut sides down, until light grill marks appear, about 5 minutes. 

Step 3

While the pears are still warm, arrange a pear half on each salad plate, cut side up, and put a dollop of mascarpone in each cavity. Drizzle with the reserved vinaigrette (shake the jar if necessary), and top with the toasted macadamia nuts and pomegranate seeds, if using. 

Yields 6 servings 

Herb-Marinated Beef Tenderloin

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Tenderloin is one of the most elegant cuts of meat, wonderful for romantic dinners and other festive occasions. This recipe features the two-step process called “reverse searing.” It yields meat that is uniformly pink from edge to edge. You can make it an hour ahead of time and serve it at room temperature—it’s perfect as the centerpiece of a buffet.

Ingredients

  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme, plus more for garnish
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary, plus more for garnish 
  • 1 sprig fresh basil, stems and leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh sage, stems and leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 
  • 1/4 cup red wine, such as a Shiraz 
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for serving 
  • 2-pound center-cut beef tenderloin, trimmed 

Directions

Step 1

Strip the thyme and rosemary sprigs, placing the leaves/needles on a cutting board along with the basil, sage, garlic, and 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt; coarsely chop everything together. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in the black pepper and the wine. Slowly whisk in 4 tablespoons of olive oil.  

Step 2

Place the tenderloin in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in the marinade, and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 2 to 8 hours (or overnight), turning the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.  

Step 3

When ready to cook, drain the meat and pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, place on a rack in a roasting pan, and let it come to room temperature for up to an hour. Preheat your oven to 250°F. If you have one, insert a remote temperature probe in the thickest part of the meat. Roast the meat until the internal temperature reaches 110°F. If you don’t have a probe, use an instant-read meat thermometer and start checking after an hour. Remove the meat from the oven and tent with foil. Let rest for 15 minutes. 

Step 4

Meanwhile, preheat a cast-iron grill pan or large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. (You can also finish the tenderloin on a grill.) Rub the tenderloin with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then sear on all sides until the outside is deeply browned and caramelized and the internal temperature is 125°F for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and loosely tent with foil again. Let rest for 5 minutes. 

Step 5

Carve into 1/2-inch-thick slices, reserving the juices. Shingle the slices on a warmed platter. Drizzle with the juices and additional olive oil and garnish with thyme and rosemary sprigs. 

Yields 6 servings

Salmon with Blood Oranges and Olive Oil

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

The brilliant red color of blood oranges adds to the tasty appeal of this dish, rich in a variety of healthful fatty acids from both the fish and the olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 2 blood oranges
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 center-cut salmon fillets, 4 to 6 ounces each, preferably with skin on
  • Sea salt
  • Freshly ground black and white pepper
  • Chopped fresh dill or parsley for serving 

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Juice one of the oranges and strain out any seeds. Whisk in the olive oil. Cut the other orange into thin slices and remove any seeds.

Step 2

Arrange the salmon fillets skin side down in a baking dish. Drizzle half the olive oil–orange juice mixture evenly over the salmon fillets. Season generously with salt and pepper, and then top each fillet with an orange slice. 

Step 3

Drizzle the remaining olive oil–orange juice mixture over the orange slices. Bake the salmon, uncovered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until done to your liking.

Step 4

Transfer to a platter or plates and garnish with the dill or parsley. 

Yields 8–10 servings.