Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Q325

Annie’s Baked Pears with Ice Cream and EVOO

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Annie also shared her recipe for slow-baked pears. “The long cooking time is essential—they’re just not the same if you try to hurry the dish along,” she explained. Serve them with the best-quality store-bought ice cream or make your own. Note: The pears can also be baked with the skins on for a more rustic look.

Ingredients

  • 2 large ripe green pears
  • 1/2 cup water, more if needed
  • 1 vanilla bean, split, or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 4 teaspoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • Vanilla or vanilla olive oil ice cream
  • Slivered almonds (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel, halve, and remove the core from the pears.

Step 2

Place the pears, cut side up, in a baking dish and pour the water around them. Add the vanilla pod or extract to the water. Place 1 teaspoon olive oil, topped with 1 teaspoon butter, in the cored center of each pear half. Sprinkle the sugar over the pears

Step 3

Cover the baking dish (use foil if it doesn’t have its own cover) and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, checking periodically to make sure the water has not evaporated (add more water if necessary). At the end of the cooking time, the sugar and water should have just started to caramelize, and the tip of a sharp knife should easily pierce the fruit.

Step 4

Let cool slightly, then serve with vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of olive oil, some syrup from the baking dish, and a sprinkling of almonds, if desired.

Serves 4

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli)

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Chinese broccoli is a delicious change from American greens. Melissa Wong shared her simple recipe with me. If you can’t find it at your local ethnic markets, feel free to substitute broccoli rabe. Vegetarian versions of oyster sauce are available online or at larger markets.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound gai lan or baby gai lan
  • 4 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought
  • chicken or vegetable broth, or salted water
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (optional)
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

Directions

Step 1

Soak the gai lan in cold water to dislodge any sand or grit; rinse well and drain. Trim about 1/2 inch off the stem ends. Peel any tough ends with a vegetable peeler or paring knife. (This will not be necessary if you are using baby gai lan.) Prepare an ice bath by adding ice cubes to a large bowl of cold water.

Step 2

Over medium-high heat, bring the broth to a boil in a deep saucepan or wok. Add the gai lan and blanch until it turns bright green, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the gai lan to the ice bath to stop the cooking. Reserve the cooking liquid in a separate bowl or container. Drain the gai lan and transfer it to a platter, plate, or shallow bowl.

Step 3

Add the olive oil to the still-hot pan (or reheat, if necessary) as well as the garlic and ginger, if using. Sauté over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid (save or freeze the remainder for another use) as well as the oyster sauce. Pour the sauce over the gai lan. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Roasting vegetables brings out their depth of flavor and turns a simple salad into a spectacular one. Beets, in particular, become oh so sweet!

Ingredients

  • 2 small red or yellow beets, about 6 ounces each
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Pinch of kosher or coarse sea salt
  • 4 cups micro greens or arugula
  • 1 ripe pear, halved, cored, and cut into thin slices
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, cut into slices
  • 1 small red onion, cut into thin rings
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted pistachios Balsamic vinegar of Modena

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Step 2

Scrub the beets and cut off the roots and tips, but don’t peel. Cut into medium cubes and transfer to the sheet pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast until the tip of a sharp knife easily pierces a few cubes, about 30 minutes. Remove beets from the oven and let cool.

Step 3

Divide the greens between two large plates. Top with equal amounts of beets, pears, cheese, red onion, and pistachios. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Serves 2

Butterflied Leg of Lamb with Za’atar

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

This lamb dish benefits from a za’atar dry rub, which infuses the meat with rich spices, and an olive oil marinade to keep it extra moist. Both create exceptional pan juices to drizzle over the finished slices.

Ingredients

For the za’atar:

  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the lamb:

  • 4-pound boneless or butterflied leg of lamb
  • 4 tablespoons za’atar
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions

Step 1

Heat a small frying pan and, when hot, dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a nut or coffee bean grinder along with the thyme and pulverize, then place in a small bowl. Next, dry toast the sesame seeds for just 1 minute, then add to the bowl along with the sumac, chili powder, and salt and whisk to blend.

Step 2

Place the lamb on an oiled rimmed sheet pan (if you bought a rolled boneless leg of lamb held together by mesh, unwrap it and flatten it). Make a few deep slashes in the thickest parts of the lamb and rub with the za’atar, getting into all the crevices. Let sit on the counter for 1 hour.2 tablespoons olive oil into a small food processor and blitz to a rough paste; set aside.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, parsley, olive oil, and lemon juice and pour over the lamb. Roast the lamb
for about 35 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer reaches an internal temperature of 130°F for medium rare (it will continue cooking once out of the oven).

Step 4

Place the sheet pan on a heat-safe pad and let the lamb rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Drizzle with pan juices and more olive oil.

Serves 6