Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Winter 2020 Page 3

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

Sweet Potato Soup with Sage Pesto

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

A cornucopia of seasonal flavors comes together in this creamy vegetarian soup. It’s homey, yet you can serve it to the most sophisticated palates in your best china or rustic soup bowls. It gets a double hit of fresh-pressed olive oil, which is used in the vibrant, herbaceous pesto as well as the soup.

Ingredients

For the soup:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 4 cups vegetable broth, plus more if needed
  • 3 cups peeled and cubed sweet potatoes (3 or 4 potatoes)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cayenne, or to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • One 14-ounce can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
  • 8 ounces burrata cheese

For the pesto:

  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin
  • olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped Tuscan kale
  • 1/4 cup shelled green pistachios, toasted
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and hot red
  • pepper flakes

Directions

Step 1

Make the pesto: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the sage and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and crisp. Remove from the heat.

Step 2

In a food processor, pulse together the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, the kale, pistachios, and Parmesan until finely chopped. Add the sage and season to taste with salt and hot red pepper flakes. Pulse to combine.

Step 3

Make the soup: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the shallots and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and butter and cook another 30 seconds. Pour in the broth. Add the sweet potatoes, cayenne, nutmeg, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Step 4

Using an immersion blender, blend the soup directly in the pot until smooth. (Alternatively, use a blender to puree the soup in batches.) Stir in the coconut milk and 2 tablespoons of the sage pesto and cook another 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, thin with additional broth.

Step 5

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls. Swirl each bowl of soup with a spoonful of the sage pesto. Break the burrata and spoon some over the top of the soup.

Serves 6 — Recipe from halfbakedharvest.com

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

Italian Egg Bake

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Perfect for brunch or overnight guests, this low-carb breakfast goes together in minutes. It’s an excellent opportunity to introduce family or friends to the pleasures and versatility of fresh-pressed olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus
  • more for drizzling
  • 4 ounces diced pancetta
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 2/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus
  • extra for topping
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (1 to 2 cloves)
  • 1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and pepper,
  • or to taste
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh tomato
  • 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably homemade
  • 4 large cage-free eggs
  • Chopped at-leaf parsley, for garnish
  • Hot red pepper flakes,
  • for garnish (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

Step 2

Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in an 8-inch cast iron skillet or oven-safe pan for 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Sauté the pancetta and onion until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Step 3

Whisk together the almond milk and Parmesan cheese. Reserve extra cheese for topping.

Step 4

Stir in the garlic, tomato, sea salt, pepper, tomato sauce, oregano, and basil. Pour the milk and the tomato mixture over the ingredients in the skillet.

Step 5

With a spatula, create 4 wells in the mixture for the eggs. Crack an egg into each well without breaking the yolk. (You may want to crack the egg into a coffee cup first, then slip it into the well.)

Step 6

Add any extra cheese on top of eggs and place the skillet in the oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the egg whites have set (the yolks will be somewhat runny).

Step 7

Garnish with Italian parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve warm.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from cottercrunch.com