Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Pressing Report Page 51

Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Rustic and moist, this Ligurian cake deserves a place in your olive oil baking repertoire. It will infuse your kitchen with the scents of late fall—apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg. No frosting is required, but we wouldn’t say no to a drizzle of warm honey or a scoop of premium vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

  • 2 large Gala apples, peeled and finely chopped
  • Orange juice to soak apples in
  • 3 cups all-purpose our
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2/3 cup golden raisins, soaked in warm water or apple cider for 15 minutes
  • Confectioner’s sugar, for dusting

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Place the chopped apples in a bowl and add orange juice—just enough juice to toss and coat apples to prevent browning.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl sift together the our, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 4

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, add the sugar and extra virgin olive oil. Mix on low for 2 minutes until well-combined. While the mixer is on, add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to mix another 2 minutes until mixture increases in volume (it should be thicker but still runny).

Step 5

In the large bowl with the dry ingredients, make a well in the middle of the our mixture. Add the wet mixture (the sugar and olive oil mixture) into the well. Using a wooden spoon, stir until just blended; it will be a thick batter (do not add anything to loosen it).

Step 6

Drain the raisins (which have been soaking in warm water) completely; rid the apples of excess juice by blotting them with paper towels. Add both raisins and apples to the batter and mix with spoon until well-combined. Again, batter will be fairly thick.

Step 7

Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Spoon the thick batter into the pan, and level the top with the back of a wooden spoon.

Step 8

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 9

Cool completely in the pan. When ready, simply lift parchment up to transfer the cake to a plate or cake stand. Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Serves 6 to 8 — Recipe adapted from themediterraneandish.com

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Onions with Mushroom Lardons

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Some of our favorite members of the Brassica family, brussels sprouts, star in this vegan-friendly mélange of seasonal vegetables. Large king oyster or shiitake mushrooms can be found at many supermarkets or Asian food emporiums. Feel free to substitute other meaty mushrooms, such as portobellos or creminis.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh brussels sprouts, halved (or quartered, if large)
  • 8 ounces fresh red or white pearl onions
  • 8 ounces medium shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • 6 to 8 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided use
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)
  • 1 pound king oyster or shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss together the brussels sprouts, pearl onions, shallots, thyme, and 1/4 cup of olive oil on a large rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with the pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Roast until tender and browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven; remove and discard the thyme sprigs.

Step 2

While the brussels sprout mixture roasts, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned and nearly crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the soy sauce, smoked paprika, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Transfer the mushrooms to paper towels to drain. Stir the mushrooms into the brussels sprout mixture just before serving.

Serves 8 to 10 — Recipe from Food and Wine, November 2020

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)

Dry-Rubbed Beef Tenderloin with Red Wine Sauce

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Nothing says “special occasion” more eloquently than beef tenderloin. To make sure the mild flavor of the meat is front and center, we rub it with a fragrant paste of fresh herbs, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil before oven-roasting. You can even skip the red wine sauce and drizzle the sliced meat with more olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 4 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed, but left whole
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus an extra sprig for a garnish
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus an extra sprig for a garnish
  • 2 tablespoons peeled minced garlic
  • 3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons coarse salt (kosher or sea)

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup good red wine, preferably Italian
  • 2 tablespoons chopped peeled shallots
  • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place an empty, heavy-bottomed roasting pan into the oven for 10 minutes. While it is heating, combine 1/4 cup of olive oil, the thyme, rosemary, garlic, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Rub this seasoning paste evenly over the beef tenderloin.

Step 2

After 10 minutes, remove the roasting pan from the oven, drizzle the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, tilt to coat the bottom of the pan, and add the seasoned meat. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the tenderloin over and return to the oven to sear the second side for an additional 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F and cook until the meat reaches your desired doneness using a meat thermometer (an internal temperature of 135°F for medium rare), approximately 15 to 18 minutes of additional cooking time.

Step 3

In the meantime, make the wine sauce: In a saucepan, combine the wine, shallots, and salt and pepper. Reduce by half. Whisk in the thyme and butter just to heat through. When the tenderloin has finished
roasting, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Slice the tenderloin into 1/2-inch slices and arrange on a platter. Spoon some wine sauce over the top.

Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from epicurious.com