In honor of Market, and Spring in general, I just placed an order from our beloved kitchen towel printers for reusable produce bags. They should be here in about two weeks. Hopefully we will also have some Country Sausage and Truffle Salami from Charlito's Cocina by then. Right now, on the Olive Oil front, I am crushing (see what I did there...you get it?) on our new "Melgarejo" Hojiblanca, "Oro Bailén" Picual and "Oro Bailén" Arbequina all from Spain.
Melgarejo is a family estate producer that has been in the olive oil business since the 18th century in Jaen, Andalusia, Spain. The current generations have expressed a vocation for Research and Development to extract hidden flavors and aromas from olives, thus producing award-winning olive oils. No kidding, these people know what they're doing. In the words of Melgarejo, this Hojiblanca has, "intense green fruity characteristics with hints of grass, mint, nettle, blackberry and green apple. In the mouth there is a sweet entrance where spice and stringency are perceived in the same intensity and bitterness is a little more appeased. It is persistent with a cool and fresh aftertaste." This is one Robust oil. It is very complex and boasts a pretty remarkable chemistry. `
Oro Bailén may be the new kids on the block, but they are currently one of the most decorated olive oil producers in the world. They started out in 2002, seeing a gap in the olive oil market focusing on quality and perfect traceability from growing the olive to bottling the oil. All the extra virgin olive oil obtained under the brand name ‘Oro Bailén’ comes from their own olive groves, in the foothills of the Sierra Morena. Their olives have some singular and peculiar fruity and aromatic notes, which gives them a very marked personality, a perfect conjunction between fruity, bitter and spicy. And we have two (2!!) of their oils.
The Picual is a Medium Intensity oil that has a, "shiny green color, with an intense fruity flavor of fresh olives and a great complexity of herbaceous and fruity aromas, with green banana, almond and green tomato standing out." It is sweet and slightly spicy. We love it.
We'll soon be switching out our Chilean Arbosana (which, along with our remaining Leccino and Barnea, is 20% off. Get it while you can!) for the Oro Bailén Arbequina. This beauty is a Mild EVOO where, "the delicacy of the aromas, typical in this variety, mixes with the strength and character of the land of southern Spain. It has the aromas of green grasses and wheat interspersed with the fruity notes of almond, apple and ripe banana." The Organoleptic Taste Panel assessed it with a Fruitiness: 6.0, Bitterness: 3.0, and Pungency: 4.0.
And now for the recipes. Oh dear me, I am on a panini kick. So here we go, three panini recipes honoring Farmers' Market and our lovely oils and vinegars, I know I'm jumping the gun here, since tomatoes, eggplant, etc. aren't going to actually make an appearance at Market until late summer, but I want them! I want them now!
Prosciutto, Mozzarella, Tomato and Basil Panini
Adapted slightly from Bon Appetit August 2003
Serves 41/2 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced (Or just use our Garlic Infused Oil!)
8 oz. thinly sliced Prosciutto
10 oz. thinly sliced fresh Whole Milk Mozzarella
12 tomato slices
12 large, fresh basil leaves (Or use our Basil Pesto! Sorry, I'll stop.)
1, 16-oz Ciabatta bread, sliced horizontally
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl to blend; season to taste with salt and pepper. Layer prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil (or pesto) over bottom of bread. Drizzle lightly with dressing. Press top of bread over and cut bread equally into 4 sandwiches.
Prepare grill or panini press over medium heat. Grill sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, pressing occasionally with a spatula to compact. Grill about 5 minutes per side.
Grilled Artisan Cheddar and Fig Sandwich
Adapted from the Chelsea Market Cookbook
Serves 1
1 crusty rustic roll
2 Tbsp. Black Mission Fig Balsamic (or Fig Jam)
2 tsp. Mild Intensity EVOO (Arbosana or Arbequina)
Flaky Sea Salt or Black Truffle Sea Salt
3 oz. sliced America Cheddar (I prefer one of the White, sharp varieties)
Cut the roll in half and drizzle 1 Tbsp. of Fig Balsamic on each half. Now drizzle 1 tsp. of olive oil over the balsamic and top with cheddar and a few pinches of salt.
Heat up the remaining tsp. of oil in either a panini press or cast-iron skillet. Grill that cheese to your desired level of toastiness!
Grilled Farmers' Market Sandwich
Adapted from Cooking Light/My Recipes
Serves 4
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil (Try Wild Mushroom & Sage, Garlic, or Tuscan Herb)
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices eggplant
2 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion1 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 4 pieces
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic Vinegar
4 (2 1/2-oz.) Ciabatta bread portions, cut horizontally
4 (1-oz.) slices provolone cheese
8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
8 basil leaves (ahem, or pesto)
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Brush 1 Tbsp. olive oil evenly over both sides of eggplant, onion and zucchini. Sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper.
Combine 1 Tbsp. oil and vinegar in a bowl. Brush mixture over cut sides of the bread.
Place onion on grill rack that has been brushed with oil or sprayed with cooking spray, and grill for 6 minutes on each side, or until tender. Remove from grill and separate into rings, Grill eggplant and zucchini, 4 minutes on each side, or until tender. Cut zucchini pieces in half crosswise.
Place bread, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 2 minutes, or until desired level of crispiness. Remove from grill. Place 1 piece of cheese on bottom half of bread portions; top each serving with 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato slice, 1 basil leaf, 2 pieces of zucchini, some onion rings, 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato slice, 1 basil leaf, 1 piece of cheese, and top half of bread (whew!). Place sandwiches on grill rack; grill 2 minutes, covered with foil, or until cheese melts.
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