Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club
Winter 2024 Page 3

Porchetta Spread

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Legend has it that porchetta, a highly seasoned and rather large pork roast, originated more than two thousand years ago in the town of Ariccia in Lazio. This zesty spread lets you savor the taste without having to make the roast—serve it with roasted chicken, pork, or vegetables. For a fabulous sandwich, lavish it on ciabatta bread and add slices of ham, turkey, or your favorite meat, arugula for a hint of spiciness, and a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients

  • Heaping 1/2 cup chopped fennel fronds
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 3 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary needles
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 5 garlic cloves, grated on a microplane grater or mashed to a paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice 
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Add the fennel fronds and seeds, herbs, garlic, salt, both peppers, and zest to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add the lemon juice and olive oil and process until well combined.

Yields enough to season 4 to 6 sandwiches

Celery Leaf Bruschetta

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

One of the many foods unique to Umbria, and nearly impossible to find anywhere else, is “black celery,” grown near the ancient town of Trevi. While not exactly black, its leaves are a much deeper and brighter green than common celery. My adaptation of the dish served at Albergo Ristorante Il Terziere includes similarly hued parsley and has all the freshness of the original.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling 
  • 2 tablespoons packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 1/3 cups packed whole fresh celery leaves 
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • Pinch of pepperoncini (crushed red pepper flakes), or to taste
  • Crusty bread or baguette

Directions

Heat a small frying pan; when hot, dry-toast the pine nuts for about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly, then add to a food processor fitted with a metal blade along with rest of the ingredients, except the bread. Pulse until well combined and smooth. To make the bruschetta, slice the bread on the bias and toast the slices under the oven broiler for 2 minutes or until golden (you can also do this in
a sauté pan or griddle on the stovetop). Arrange the toasts on a serving platter, drizzle each with olive oil, and spread on the pesto.

Serves 4 to 6

Insalata Torre a Cona

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

My Merry Band of Tasters and I enjoyed this vibrant mixed salad at the historic Torre a Cona estate just outside Florence. It’s dressed with a light vinaigrette that enhances the pepperiness and bitterness of the lettuces.

Ingredients

  • One bulb fennel, about 16 ounces
  • 5 ounces radishes, very thinly sliced
  • One 12-ounce head of radicchio, cut into ribbons
  • 6 ounces frisée or curly endive
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • Wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Trim the bottom off the fennel bulb, then use a mandoline (or a thin food processor slicing blade or the slicing side of a box grater) to shave it into thin slices. Mince a few fronds and add them with the fennel to a large salad bowl along with the radishes, radicchio, and frisée. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well with tongs. Run a cheese plane across the surface of the Parmigiano-Reggiano to create wide shavings and scatter them on top of the salad.

Serves 6 to 8

Potato-Leek Skillet Breakfast

Posted on by The Olive Oil Hunter

Or brunch or a light dinner! Many people are surprised to learn that potatoes are extremely popular in Italy, often served with meat dishes. Present this one-pan meal right in the skillet or on a platter. It’s satisfying on its own as well as alongside soft scrambled eggs.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary needles, minced
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 large leeks
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • One 12-ounce burrata or six 2-ounce mini burratas, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup assorted fresh herbs such as basil and parsley, well chopped
  • Balsamic vinegar, for drizzling

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise and add them to the skillet along with the rosemary, tossing to coat them with the oil. Season with the salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for 20 minutes.

Step 2

While the potatoes are roasting, trim the roots and the dark green leaves from the leeks. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and triple-wash them under cool running water to remove any sand or soil; pat dry. Slice them into 1/2-inch half-moons and place them in a bowl with 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic; toss well.

Step 3

After 20 minutes in the oven, carefully take out the skillet and add the leeks, toss well, and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the tip of a sharp knife easily pierces a few of the potatoes and they’re crispy.

Step 4

Place the skillet on a heat-safe pad and let cool for 5 minutes, then center the burrata on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle on the fresh herbs and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and more olive oil. To plate, gently pull apart the burrata so that each serving has a portion of cheese.

Serves 6