tomatoes w/ uLTRA PREMIUM EVOO
Ingredients
2 pounds plum, Roma tomatoes, or large cherry tomatoes
Sprigs of Fresh Herbs such as oregano, marjoram, and/or thyme
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups Certified UP EVOO or infused olive oil of your choice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 250 F.
Wash and dry the tomatoes. With a very sharp serrated knife, slice the tomatoes in half and season with salt. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the halves, cut side up on the sheets. Bake the tomatoes slow and low at 250 F. for 4-5 hours. Allow the tomatoes to cool completely before packing them into clean jars or containers with lids. Add herbs to the tomatoes in the containers/jars - I like to use thyme, oregano, and/or marjoram. Cover the tomatoes fully with a fresh UP EVOO of our choice, and keep covered and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
Use the tomatoes to make dried tomato pesto, sauces, in salads, on antipasto platters, or in pastas.
Balsamic Cured Beef Jerky
An absolutely delicious, natural, cost effective alternative to store bought jerky.
Ingredients
2 pounds beef round steak, cut into very thin strips across the grain
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 Tablespoons Traditional Balsamic
2 Tablespoons natural liquid smoke
2 Teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon hot red chili flakes (optional)
Directions
Place beef strips in the bottom of a large bowl and add soy sauce, balsamic, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and red chili flakes (if using).
Mix to assure the meat is evenly coated and cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.
Remove meat from bowl and arrange the meat strips on the tray of a dehydrator and dry at your dehydrator's highest setting until done to your liking, at least 4 hours. Store in an airtight container or resealable bags.
corn and black bean salad
roasted cherry tomato bruschetta with basil & ricotta
Ingredients
1 loaf of good quality crusty italian or french bread 1 loaf of good quality crusty Italian or French Bread
2 cups fresh, good quality ricotta cheese
1/2 cupEVOO - Picual, Hoji, or Koroneiki would go well here
1/4 cup Tuscan Herb or Garlic Olive Oil
3 cups super sweet cherry tomatoes
1 cup packed fresh basil leaves
3 large garlic cloves
1 cup good quality sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained well
2 teaspoons sea salt
fresh cracked pepper to taste
Preheat a grill, BBQ or oven to 425 F.
In a medium bowl, whisk the ricotta with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.
Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1/4 cup freshEVOO, a teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. Roast the cherry tomatoes in a cast iron skillet for 15 minutes until blistered and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
Slice the bread into 1" thick slices, drizzle the slices with 1/4 cupEVOO, and grill over high heat, on the BBQ or an indoor cast iron grill until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Using two of the garlic cloves, rub each side of the still warm grilled bread. Set aside.
Sundried tomato and basil pesto
In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add the sundried tomatoes, 1/2 cup basil, 1 garlic clove, 1/4 cup Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and process to a paste consistency.
For assembly
Spread 1 tablespoon sundried tomato pesto over over one side of the each slice of grilled bread. Top by spreading 1 tablespoon of ricotta. Then place 2 or 3 cherry roasted cherry tomatoes over the ricotta layer, and then add a basil leaf between each tomato (if you're feeling fancy). Otherwise just sprinkle the bruschetta with torn basil leaves.
Finish each bruschetta with additional sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and a drizzle of UP EVOO or infused olive oil of your choice. Serve immediately!
Muhammara, or turkish roasted red pepper spread
Ingredients
2 (7-8 ounces) jars roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs (from a baguette)
1 cup walnuts (4 ounces), toasted
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (picas, hojiblanca, arbequina)
2 tablespoons cayenne olive oil (optional for less heat use another olive oil)
Directions
Puree roasted red peppers, bread crumbs, walnuts, vinegar, cumin, cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until almost smooth. With motor running, add oil in a slow store, bleeding until incorporated. Delicious on credit, crackers, or toasts.
basic hummus recipe
Ingredients
2-15 oz cans organic garbanzo beans, drained
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon roasted japanese sesame oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup Certified UP Extra Virgin Olive Oil of your choice or any infused olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
Directions
Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until creamy and smooth. Adjust seasoning as desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve and drizzle additional, fresh olive oil over the top if desired.
baklouti black bean dip
Ingredients
1/4 cup garlic olive oil
1/4 cup baklouti olive oil
2 (15.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from one lime, plus more if desired
A few tablespoons of water if necessary
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
Directions
Add the black beans, olive oil, salt, cumin, lime juice, water and cilantro to the blender. Blend until smooth (if you're using a blender, you may need to stop and stir a few times to help it out). If the dip is too thick, add bit of water or lime juice, little by little, to thin it out. Taste and adjust seasoning, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve warm, cold or room temperature with tortilla chips. The heat homes from the baklouti chili olive oil, so if you like it mild, replace with unflavored extra virgin olive oil or simple double the garlic olive oil used and omit baklouti. Serve with tortilla chips, bread, or pita chips.
goat cheese crostini with squash seed oil
Ingredients:
1 baguette, sliced into rounds
2 tablespoon Squash seed oil
4 oz goat cheese (chèvre)
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup of your favorite roasted vegetables
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush bread sliced with squash seed oil and place on baking pan. Bake in oven for 6 minutes or until lightly toasted. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
In small mixing bowl stir goat cheese with spoon to make spreadable. Immediately before serving, spread bread slices with generous amount of goat cheese. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and drizzle with addition squash oil. Finish by topping with your favorite roasted vegetables.
I apologize in advance to all you "mushroom-haters" out there, but I'm squarely on "Team Mushroom", as if you couldn't tell. Here I've layered glorious mushroom upon more mushroom, using the Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil in the dough, and also with the caramelized mushroom topping. The results are a simple yet supremely satisfying flat bread that begs to be served alongside a crisp, vibrant salad with a bit of acidity.
Flat Bread Dough
2 1/2 cups of AP unbleached flour
1 cup warm water
2 tablespoons WildMushroom & Sage Olive Oil
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
Mushroom Topping
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms such as Cremini, Shitake, Oyster, Porcnini, Chanterelle, etc.
sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
To make the flat bread dough, mix together the olive oil, warm water, yeast, and sugar. Allow to sit for five minutes to bloom. Blend the salt with the flour and mix with the wet ingredients to form a somewhat moist dough.
Knead the dough for about five minutes adding just a bit of flour if it becomes too sticky, until a smooth dough forms. Divide in to two balls and set aside covered in a warm place to rise until doubled, for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile make the mushroom topping. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt to taste. Saute until they just begin to turn a light golden-brown color. Add the sliced shallot and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the shallot is sweet, soft, and also gently caramelized. Adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool while the dough rises. Alternatively, you can use your bread machine or stand mixer to mix and knead the dough.
Preheat the oven to 450 F.
To assemble, roll each flat dough ball in to a very thin circle, approximately 8" in diameter. Place the rolled dough on to a sheet pan or pizza pan either greased with olive oil, lined with parchment, or dusted with cornmeal.
Arrange the caramelized mushroom-shallot mixture evenly over both pieces of dough. Sprinkle each with equal portions of crumbled blue cheese, and another drizzle of Mushroom-Sage Olive Oil, and additional fresh ground pepper (if desired). Slide the flat bread in to the preheated oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and beginning to caramelize and the crust is golden brown and slightly puffed. Rotate the flat bread half way through the cooking process to ensure that each cooks evenly.
Serves 4-6
medium heat. Add the mushrooms and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt to taste. Saute until they just begin to turn a light golden-brown color. Add the sliced shallot and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the shallot is sweet, soft, and also gently caramelized. Adjust seasoning as desired with salt and pepper, and set aside to cool while the dough rises. Alternatively, you can use your bread machine or stand mixer to mix and knead the dough.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground fine black pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups aged, shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
1 cup Garlic Infused Olive Oil (try experimenting with other infused olive oils)
Alternatively, For Cheesy White Truffle Crackers
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground fine black pepper (optional)
1 1/2 cups shredded Asiago cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons White Truffle Oil
Instructions
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to distribute. Add the cheeses and pulse again to finely chop the cheese into the dry ingredients. Add the oil(s) and continue to pules until the oil is incorporated thoroughly.
Gather and press the dough in to two flat discs. Wrap each disc and chill for an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Line a baking sheet. Roll out one disk at a time to 1/4" thick. Cut in to squares, rounds - whatever floats your boat. The way you choose to cut the crackers will not affect their taste.
Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges become golden.
Asiago Popcorn with Wild Mushroom & Sage Olive Oil
Ingredients:
6 cups freshly popped, warm popcorn (air-popping is a good option)
1/3 cup Wild Mushroom-Sage Olive Oil + 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese + 2 tablespoons
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
sea salt to taste
I a bowl large enough to hold the popcorn, drizzle 1/3 cup of the mushroom sage olive oil over the sides and bottom of the bowl. Alternatively, you can use an oil mister to spray the oil on to the popcorn.
Add the still warm popcorn to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Add 1/2 cup grated Asiago, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper, and salt to taste. Toss to coat again. Finish by drizzling the remaining mushroom-sage olive oil over the top along with two tablespoons of Asiago, and more black pepper.
Other excellent variations include:
Perisan Lime Fused Olive Oil + Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil = chili-lime popcorn
California Garlic Olive Oil + Butter Olive Oil = garlic-butter popcorn
Tuscan Herb Olive Oil + freshly grated Pecorino Romano Cheese = Paisano Popcorn
Red Cayenne Chili Olive Oil + Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil = "Three Alarm Popcorn"
Red Cayenne Chili Olive Oil + California Garlic Olive Oil = Chili-Garlic Popcorn
Eureka Lemon Olive Oil + California Garlic Olive Oil = Lemon-Garlic Popcorn
Serves how ever many people you'd like to share with...but it might be too good to share!
3C Citrus Granola: Cherry, Cashew, and Coconut
Ingredients:
6 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup cashews (almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts can also be appropriate substitutes)
1 cup unsweetened large flake coconut
1 cup dried Cherries (Or any other dried fruit) .
1/2 cup Blood Orange (Eureka Lemon or Persian Lime are also appropriate) Olive Oil
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the first four dried ingredients and spread out in to an even layer over the lined baking sheet.
In a medium pot set over low heat, or in your microwave gently warm the honey so that it becomes more fluid. Whisk the olive oil in to the warm honey along with the vanilla. It won't emulsify, but that's alright.
Even drizzle the honey-olive oil mixture over the oats on the baking sheet. Toss everything gently to coat as much of the oats with honey and olive oil as possible. Redistribute in to an even layer and pop in to the oven on the middle rack.
Every 10 minutes for about 1/2 hour, check and stir the granola, the honey and olive oil with continue to coat the remainder of the granola as you do this. When the granola is fragrant and golden brown, remove it from the oven and stir it one last time to ensure even distribution of olive oil and honey.
Allow it to cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Makes approximately 9 cups (9 servings of granola)