Anti Resolutions

Hello, hello!

Before I write anything else, let me say, "Thank. You."  Thank you so much for shopping with us this Holiday Season.  It warms my heart on this chilly day to think of how many people came out and shopped local this year.  You are the reason small businesses thrive in this fair town of Fayetteville.  So...thanks!  We love you all! Also, thanks to Dirty Apron Bake House for providing amazing bread to our late night shoppers at our Holiday Open House. If you haven't gotten a loaf of Nick's bread yet, you're missing out.  Find them on Church and Dickson Street on the backside of The Garden Room.  They're pretty great.  (I think they are closed until January 2, though.  FYI.)

Okay, now that I got through those warm and cuddly feelings, let's move on.  What's new and interesting in the store, you ask?  Not much, just switching over to the Northern Hemisphere olive oils at a snail's pace.  I just ordered two new Portuguese oils.  One is a robust Cobrancosa and the other is a mild/medium Chiquitita.  Those are the only two available to us at this moment. The minute the Spanish, Californian, and (hopefully) Italian and Greek oils make their way into the market, I will get them into our store.  I say "hopefully" about the Italian and Greek oils because the 2016 harvest was "catastrophic" due to a severe drought in Europe.  This year the drought has continued and a hail storm punched through Western Greece a few weeks prior to their harvest and devastated some groves, so....we'll see! You'll be glad to know that the wildfires in Northern California did not affect most of the growers' harvests and the trials at UC Davis Olive Center have shown that the flavor of the olives does not seem to have been impacted by the smoke. Hooray!

Olives!  Yes!  I just ordered some new jars of the Spanish Medley olives with pits, the green chili stuffed olives, and the red chili and garlic stuffed olives.  I know a few folks have been asking after them.  They should be in next week, weather and holidays permitting.

We now have on tap a Black Cherry Dark Balsamic per several customers' requests.  I was hesitant to get this one because I generally think of Cherry anything as cough syrup.  Boy was I surprised to find that I really REALLY like this Balsamic!  It is sweet, but it's also quite tart and it makes the most amazing vinaigrette when mixed with the Roasted Almond Oil.  I think it would make a killer glaze on a Pork Tenderloin.  It's challenging my world view of "cherry."  It does help that it's not artificially flavored and so dark that it is truly Black Cherry.  No red food coloring for us, if you please!

I am going to replace the Passion fruit White Balsamic with the beloved Grapefruit White Balsamic for the winter.  I love how zippy it is!  Citrus in the winter is where it's at, people.  Welcome back, Grapefruit.  We have missed you.

Sadly, we are temporarily out of the Rosemary Infused Olive Oil.  We'll get it back, too, don't worry!  Our distributor is out of it, thus we are out of it.  Patience, my friends, and apologies.  They will hopefully have it back in stock mid-January.

Speaking of January, do you want to know a secret?  I hate New Years' Resolutions.  No, I really hate them.  I have never done one in my life.  I am the person that scoffs at the crowded gyms and empty produce isles and thinks, "we'll see how long this lasts."  So I am hesitant to say that I am doing a Resolution for the New Year.  It is a coincidence that I am giving up sugar for a month and that month happens to be January.

That's right, my dears, no sugar for one month.  What does that entail, you ask?  No: refined sugar, corn syrup (that pretty much rules out any packaged snack foods), no sweetened drinks (including coffee and tea), white rice, white flour, white bread, PASTA, and alcohol*.  Yes: honey, pure maple syrup, balsamic, whole fruit, dried fruit, whole grains, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, dark chocolate, and weekend red wine*.

How will you survive, you ask?  Air popped popcorn with our Butter Olive Oil, kale chips, Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts, Granola, and lots of smoothies.  Meals won't be too difficult.  It's snacking that gets in my way.  With my two small children around, Goldfish Crackers are basically a food group at our house.  Which brings us to the "why".  Why are you doing this, you ask?  Because.  For the first time in my entire life, I have a cavity.  I have a CAVITY! In my tooth! What the heck?! I could be a professional electric toothbrush reviewer and I have a cavity?  I don't think so.  As you can see, I take this very personally. So, I am going to be eating mindfully for the following month in an attempt to recalibrate my taste buds and my way of thinking of snacking.  My dentist told me that it's not Halloween candy or even the sweets around the Holidays that cause cavities, it's the every day simple carbs that break down into sugar in your mouth.  We don't go around eating candy all day, but we do snack on *ahem* Goldfish/Wheat Thins/Crackers, etc.  So....here we go!  Time to cut that out!

I have a few tricks up my sleeve, though.  I'm keeping Dark Chocolate on my acceptable foods list.  And guess what we just got in from Taza?  Their Wicked Dark (95% cacao) Ginger Bar.  It is DARK and I love it.  I'll allow myself a square or two if I just need a buzz every now and then.  Also, any one of our Balsamic vinegars is acceptable.  It has no added sugar or corn syrup!  All natural, my friends.  I can add a splash of Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic to my fizzy water and kale salad and get that hint of sweetness without a bit of white sugar.

And just like that, I decided that Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic is going to be our sale Vinegar for the month of January.  Boom!  A stroke of brilliance.  Today I am going to give you the bare bones tools to make a massaged kale salad.  What's that, you ask?  It is my new obsession. You take a bunch of kale, tear off the leaves, wash it, dry it, then throw it in a large bowl.  Next you take a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil and pour it over your kale.  Now massage the kale.  You don't even have to be good at it.  You just work the kale around until it wilts a bit.  The rest is up to you.  You can add strawberries and a dark balsamic, or (my favorite) Sicilian lemon balsamic (or lemon juice, honey, and rice vinegar) with Toasted Sesame Oil and a splash of soy sauce or Bragg's amino acids, and any combination of seeds or nuts.  There you have it.  It's almost too healthy, you know?  I will call this my Anti-Resolution Salad.

Thank you all for shopping with us and I look forward to seeing you all in 2018!

Cheers,

Andrea 


Massaged Kale Salad

1 bunch kale, washed and dried
2 Tbsp. EVOO
1 tsp. Sicilian Lemon White Balsamic
1 tsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Soy Sauce or Bragg's Amino Acids

Anything else you want: chickpeas, avocados, tomatoes, almonds, pepitas, etc.

1.  Place kale in a large mixing bowl.  Add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil and massage until the leaves are wilted, about 3 minutes.

2.  Mix in the remaining ingredients and enjoy!

Expanded Horizons

Hi!

Dear readers, if you don't mind, today I would like to talk to you about some things that are near and dear to my heart: camping and cooking.  This is my season, people.  It's finally cool enough to run my oven without abandon, do my yearly massive cardigan/winter wear washing, and leave the windows open until it's just too chilly to continue with this insanity.  We can go out into the woods and not immediately be eaten alive by mosquitoes and other horrible biting things.  I can curl up in my sleeping bag and not wake up sticky and sad because it is still somehow 90 degrees at 6 a.m.  No, friends.  Last weekend we went camping and I woke up because my children stole all the blankets and I was freezing.  It was glorious. 

Do you know one of my favorite things to do this time of year, whether it is in the fire pit in the backyard, or a campfire, or just a plain old grill?  Make Foil Dinner Packets.  If you have never made these babies, then let me guide your gentle soul in the ways of campfire cooking.  You take approximately a 12x12 sheet of foil, throw down some sliced potatoes, onions, and peppers and whatever other vegetables you want (squash, zucchini, asparagus, mushrooms, etc.) add whatever meat you want (smoked sausage is my favorite, but ground beef, chicken and shrimp are all delicious, too), drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, fold up your foil packets and throw them on the fire.  No really, you just stick them right on the burning logs and cook them for 20 minutes.  You then eat your dinner directly from the foil packet, while you sit around the fire that just cooked your most delicious meal. It's a thing of beauty, I tell you.  Here is the recipe for some Shrimp Boil Foil Packs from Le Creme de la Crumb that are out of this world.  And I have my go-to Foil Dinner Packet recipe below, which brings me to our Sale Oil of the month. 

We're doing 20% off Harissa, folks! I rediscovered my love of Harissa Infused Olive Oil this month.  It has been a while since I've used this one and, for the life of me, I can't figure out how I have forgotten about it.  Harissa is a spicy red chili paste spiced with garlic, coriander and cumin that is extremely popular in the Middle East, especially in Tunisia (a country which provides yours truly with its most delicious Baklouti Green Chili Oil!).  But right now, Harissa is making its way into the U.S. Culinary scene the same way Sriracha did 10 years ago.  Every food blog I follow and cooking magazine I read has at least one Harissa recipe thrown in.  But how do you cook with Harissa Olive Oil, you ask?  Let me bombard you with examples.

Drizzle it over any bowl of chili or bean soup, Foil Dinner Packets, on popcorn, to make spicy mixed nuts, this Shredded Carrot Salad with Harissa, Feta and Mint, or a quick black bean and cheese quesadilla. And Shakshuka. 

Have you heard of Shakshuka? "Bless you!"  No? It's not nearly as scary as it sounds.  It's eggs poached in a spicy, savory tomato sauce.  It's what you're having for brunch this weekend. This recipe for Shakshuka with Feta is from Melissa Clark, who is an absolute genius when it comes to simple, wholesome, delicious meals. (Her Red Lentil Soup with Lemon featured here on the Orangette blog is perfection.) Instead of using Extra Virgin Olive Oil (which, of course, you can use and we have some beauties in the store right now), I would suggest trying it with the Harissa Infused Oil, both for the Shakshuka and Lentil Soup.   

I'm giving you the recipes for one of my family's all-time comfort foods.  Chana Masala.  "What is with all these nonsense words today," you ask?  I'm expanding your horizons in the most delicious way.  This is the ultimate week night dinner.  You can make the whole thing in 30 minutes, everything you need is probably already in your pantry and spice cabinet and it makes for fantastic leftovers. Vegan, gluten free, and so flavorful and filling that you are completely satisfied.  It's onions, ginger and spices, garbanzo beans and crushed tomatoes served over Basmati or whatever rice is in your cabinet.  I like to eat a side of Harissa Roasted Cauliflower with mine.  I start the cauliflower roasting and rice cooking before I begin sauteing my onions and then, magically, everything is done at the same time!  This is like the Indian version of Spaghetti and Meatballs.  If you don't have all the exact spices, no big deal.  Add something else, or leave a spice or two out.  If you hate garbanzo beans (we can't be friends), make Chicken Tikka Masala instead.  The point is, if you want a wonderfully easy, cheap, tasty meal, these recipes are for you.  

Anyway...what's going on at the store?  Well, we're starting the less then glamorous process of stocking up for the Holiday season.  We got in a shipment of approximately 1 million bottles.  Not really, but it certainly felt like it as we were unloading the pallets.  We have some cute new kitchen towels in for Thanksgiving.  My favorite one says "Love Thy Neighbor" and another has a recipe for a Honey Pecan Pie that I might have to test out next week.  

We're heading toward the last few months of having Southern Hemisphere Extra Virgin Olive Oils.  Spain has already pressed their olives and their oils are coming our way soon.  I'll let you know when we make the switch, but for now we still have the tastiest olive oils Australia and Chile have to offer. When that shipment comes in, we'll also have a new dark balsamic to surprise you with, but I'm keeping it a secret until it gets here, which will be within the first few weeks of November.    

Yikes! I almost forgot!  We are not going to do the 3 for Thursday deal from now until March or April, when Farmer's market starts again.  Instead, we're going to help you get stocking stuffers by having a sale on our gift packs.  If you buy 3 of the 60 ml gift packs, you get the 4th one half off. It's that time, people. Well, almost that time of year.  Let me have Halloween first.  

For now, enjoy these recipes, enjoy the weather, come down to to square for Trick or Treating next week and pick up your bottle of Harissa!  

Cheers,

Andrea

Foil Dinner Packets

4 sheets of Aluminum foil

1 large russet potato or several new potatoes, sliced thin

1 onion, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced 

6 oz. mushrooms, sliced

1 lb. Smoked Sausage, sliced 

4 Corn on the Cobs

cherry tomatoes, optional

1 Tbsp. Harissa Infused Olive Oil per packet, or 4 Tbsp. total

1.  Have a hot camp fire or preheated grill.  

2.  Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil and start layering: handful of potatoes, then onion, then bell pepper, then zucchini, then mushrooms, then sausage, then tomatoes (if you want them).  Drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper.  Tightly fold up your foil packet and then keep making packets until your use up all your fixings. (Note:  The way I fold my packets is: long right side over the toppings, followed by long left side over the folded right side.  Smash down a bit.  Roll up the ends, making sure there isn't much of a gap along the folded pieces.) (Also note:  I make my corn separately.  Just wrap them in foil, too.)

3.  Throw those foil packets right onto banked coals or a good flat log on your fire, or onto the hottest part of your grill.  Throw the foil wrapped corn on a lightly less hot part of the fire or grill. Walk away.  Grab a s'more.  After about 15 minutes, flip them over. Take the corn out of the fire.  (I suggest using long grill tongs to do this.) Give the packets another 5 minutes or so.  Take one out of the fire and carefully unwrap it, once it's cooled enough to do so.  If it is done, with the potatoes tender and slightly charred, it's ready to dig into.  Take the others out of the fire.  Add more Harissa or spicy mustard, if you want to, and enjoy this beautiful weather!

Chana Masala

1/4 c. EVOO or butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated

1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. cayenne

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

2 cans garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

Cilantro, optional

1.  Heat oil over medium high heat in a large, heavy pot or skillet and add onion.  Cook for about 8 minutes, stirring every now and then, until the onion is nice and browned with bits of black here and there.  

2.  While you're cooking the onion, grate your ginger into a small bowl, then add all the spices together into that bowl.  Once the onion is caramelized, decrease your heat to medium and add the spices and ginger to your skillet.  Stir quickly, and add your garbanzo beans.  

3.  Stir everything around for a minute or two, then add about 1/4 cup of water to your pan.  That will steam off pretty quickly, then add your crushed tomatoes.  Bring to a nice simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the pan and cook, stirring every now and then, for 20 minutes.  Top with some fresh cilantro and serve over Basmati Rice and along side Harissa Roasted Cauliflower. 

Harissa Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower, washed and chopped

3-4 Tbsp. Harissa Infused Olive Oil

Salt and pepper (1/2 tsp. each?)

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  

2.  Arrange cauliflower on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  

3.  Roast cauliflower for 35-40 minutes, flipping/stirring after 20 minutes.  

Dropping You A Lime

Well hello!

Have you ventured downtown lately?  Say, to Dickson Street?  If you have, you would have undoubtedly noticed the entire parking lots being taken up by tents and marquees and large stages, which all suggest that Bikes, Blues and BBQ is upon us.  That means our sleepy, quaint Ozarks town is going to be a rumbling Mecca for all things Harley Davidson.  We take this time, dear friends, to close our humble store and take a fall vacation.  Sadly, we will be closed Thursday, Friday and Saturday of this week in honor of the 18th Annual BBBBQ. Ride on, folks! Ride on.

But, hey!  When we do open back up on Tuesday, we have a few new goodies for you to try.  First, there's a Passion Fruit White Balsamic.  You guys, I got totally brainwashed by watching "The Great British Baking Show", where they somehow manage to work in passion fruit onto every single episode, and I got really giddy when our distributors came out with this new flavor.  And I just said, "take my money!" without ever having actually eaten said passion fruit, hence not having any idea what a passion fruit balsamic would potentially taste like. And, boy, let me tell you, I'm glad I did.  Those Brits are on to something.  It kind of tastes like the Ripe Peach White Balsamic, but with a bit less sweetness and a little zippy twang at the end.  It pairs well with any of our citrus olive oils (especially the Persian Lime, wink!), the spicy Picholine EVOO, and the Chipotle olive oil.  I think it would be dreamy with any salad, mixed drink, fruit, avocado, straight from the bottle...it's really just a lovely flavor.  

We also just put out a new, extremely tasty, Wild Rosemary Infused Olive Oil.  Let that sink in. And now let your mind wander toward all the things you can do with that.  Especially this fall.  I'm there with you.  Cornbread stuffing, focaccia, all the soups, roast chicken, pork chops, potatoes! I'll stop.  Honestly, I held off on ordering this one for a while and I'll tell you why.  I secretly cringe when I see "rosemary" anything on a menu or recipe.  I associate rosemary (along with McCormick Lemon Pepper seasoning and Mrs. Dash) with early college cooking, when that was really the only herb anyone used, since they had heard of it, and it overpowered the whole dish to the point of inedibility.  I remember picking little brittle shards of it out of my teeth after one particularly rosemary-y chicken my roommate made and vowed to never use it again.  But I asked for a sample of the oil from California, tried it, and have come around.  Used in the right quantities, rosemary is a very nice herb.  And the Rosemary Olive Oil has just the right amount of herbaceous notes blended with a green olive oil to make it noticeable, but not overpowering.  We've had it out for less than a week and it's already half gone.  It's that good.  

Let's see...what else is new?  Well, all of our Extra Virgin Olive Oils are new.  We only have one Northern Hemisphere oil left, and the rest are all Southerners.  And they are delicious!  We have a mild Hojiblanca, medium Arbosana, robust Picholine and Favalosa.  The Southern Hemisphere had an impressive harvest, and we are reaping the benefits. Sadly, when we order new things we have to let other things go.  So, for now, we say good bye to the Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic, the Lavender Dark Balsamic and the A-Premium White Balsamic.  But don't worry!  We may get them back again some day.

Oh! And we're doing something new with our store hours.  Starting next week, we are going to be open from 10:00-5:00 on Saturdays. Stop in and say "hello!" and forgive us for the ongoing construction and for closing this week to escape the bikes blues.

Our sale for this month is going to be the Persian Lime Olive Oil.  This one was one of my first loves and, paired with the Blackberry Ginger Balsamic, was probably what convinced my husband that we were not crazy people for wanting to open an oil and vinegar store three (3!) years ago.  But, favorites come and go.  We got a little wild with the peppery and smokey oils and I always fawn over the EVOOs and, I admit, the Lime fell out of my favor.  But, you guys, there is a soup that I make.  A humble soup.  And it needed the Persian Lime Olive Oil for perfection.

This is the easiest soup, aside from Ramen Noodles, that you could make.  It's Carrot Coconut Soup

and I know you'll adore it.  You cut up an onion.  You peel and slice up a 2 lb bag of carrots.  And that's it.  Well, that's basically it.  Saute the onions and carrots in a generous 4 tablespoons of Persian Lime Olive Oil, or regular olive oil, or butter, or coconut oil, or whatever floats your boat (but try it with the Lime one, wink!) for about 15-20 minutes.  Then add it two cans of coconut milk, 4 cups of vegetable stock or chicken stock or water (it's a very forgiving soup), and you drop the heat to low and let it simmer for 45 minutes.  Use an immersion blender, if you have it, to puree your soup.  You can do this with a regular blender, too, but be very careful because hot liquids like to splatter and expand and leave a huge mess all over your counter top when you forget to check that the bottom of your blender is correctly screwed on. Ah, memories. Blend until it's all smooth and thick and luxurious.  Squeeze in the juice of one lime, a tablespoon or two of Sriracha, add some salt, if needed and love that soup for all it's worth, because, like the Persian Lime Olive Oil, it's a keeper.

Carrot Coconut Soup with Chili and Lime
From Orangette

4 Tbsp. Persian Lime Olive Oil or butter
2 lb. carrots, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 c. vegetable or chicken broth
2 cans unsweetened, full fat coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp. Sriracha
1 lime, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onions and carrots, with a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 15-20 minutes.

2.  Add the broth and coconut milk, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft and the liquid is slightly reduced, about 45 minutes.

3.  Puree using an immersion blender, or in batches, (carefully) with a regular blender.  Stir in Sriracha and lime, and add salt to taste.  Serve along with crusty bread and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy the soup and that you, too, take a vacation this week or go downtown to partake in a smoked Turkey leg and the sight of leather chaps.

Cheers,
Andrea

Hail, Caesar!

Hi, friends!

Here it is, the end of summer. A lot of you are gearing up to transition back into school mode and for that, I wish you luck.  Truthfully, I always looked forward to the fresh start of a new school year.  Or at least I looked forward to buying new school supplies, because in my heart of hearts, I am indeed a nerd and I love nothing more than a new pack of pens and fresh notebook.  But aside from school, the end of summer means that produce is in abundance.  Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, basil, etc. are all around us. And soon, apple season!  My favorite!

We are getting ready to stock up the store in tandem with all of your school supplies. We are now carrying the local chocolate "Hello, Cocoa!" Did you know that they use our Basil Olive Oil in their seasonal Spring Bar?  How cool is that?  It's also delicious.  We are phasing out the Gravenstein Apple White Balsamic to be replaced by Passionfruit White Balsamic.  We're also going to replace the Herbes de Provence Olive Oil for a Rosemary Infused Olive Oil, but we still have a bit left, so that will happen gradually.  And it's now time for the 2017 Southern Hemisphere Extra Virgin Olive Oils to make their appearance.  They had a really fantastic harvest this year, so I am excited to have these award winning oils in our humble store.

I have noticed that one question that comes up again and again is, "what do I do with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil?"  The answer to that is: anything.  They only thing I haven't done with an EVOO is deep fry with it.  And that's mostly because I don't own a deep fryer.  Yes, you will get the most health benefits using it at room temperature or slightly warm on salads or tossed with pasta or veggies, because heat will begin to break down the Omega-3, 6, 9's and what have yous.  But you can absolutely cook with it in any capacity. The smoke point for most of our olive oils is around 400 degrees, but I consistently roast my veggies at 450 and have never had a problem.   (Fun fact, Avocado Oil has the highest smoke point of 520 F.)   I use EVOO in my pizza dough recipe, granola recipe, as roux for gumbo, oily Pasta with Swiss Chard. Pretty much you name it! Don't be shy with them just because they're extra virgins.

So, for this month our sale is going to be 20% off all of the 2016 Northern Hemisphere Extra Virgin Olive Oils.  This serves double duty to make way for the new 2017 harvest from the Southern Hemisphere and to give you all a nudge to try new things with them. My suggestion is to swing by Dirty Apron Bake House and grab a loaf of their fantastic Sourdough (if you haven't tried Nick's bread, you are missing out), then mosey to Farmer's Market and get some late summertime tomatoes and basil, and then come to us for a large bottle of zingy olive oil and maybe some Traditional Balsamic.  Go home and use half of your bread to make croutons for the Caesar Salad that will change your life (recipe to follow) and the other half to make bruschetta.  Because, by golly, this is what the end of summer is all about!  Cooking, but not really.

Let's move on to the aforementioned Caesar Salad.  I have a confession to make.  I still have a bottle of salad dressing in my refrigerator.  It's Newman's Own Caesar Dressing and this has been my go-to Caesar dressing for about a decade. I have tried making my own, but there has never been a recipe that just fits the bill, if you know what I mean.  But the other day I opened my battered Emeril's Delmonico cookbook to find my favorite Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo recipe and saw the photo of a beautiful Caesar Salad that was begging to be made.  Lo and behold, I had everything I needed to make the Creamy Parmesan Dressing to go on top of a bed of crisp Romaine lettuce and I thought, "okay, I'll give it another shot."  I'm so glad that I did.  It was perfect!  Thick, but not too thick.  Garlicky, but not overpoweringly so. Nicely pungent with the anchovies and robust olive oil, but not so pungent as to scare away my kids. You know...perfect.


Friends, I challenge you to step away from the bottled dressing and give this recipe a chance. It comes together quickly, in the bowl of a food processor or with an immersion stick blender, or just a plain old bowl and a whisk.  Boil some water, and assemble everything else while that gets going.  Juice 1/2 a lemon, peel a clove of garlic, get out that tin of anchovies hiding in the pantry, toast your bread for croutons, etc. Put an egg in that now boiling water and coddle it for 45 seconds.  Mix all of your ingredients and slowly add in your Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and I give you home made Creamy Parmesan Dressing for your fantastic Caesar Salad.

Enjoy! Happy back to school week! And see you soon!

Caesar Salad 
Adapted, slightly, from Emeril's Delmonico

One 18-oz bag Hearts of Romaine lettuce, torn or left whole
1 recipe Creamy Parmesan Dressing (recipe follows)
1 batch Croutons (recipe follows)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Put the lettuce in a large bowl, toss with the dressing, and divide into 4 bowls  Top with croutons and cheese.

Creamy Parmesan Dressing

1 large egg
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2-4 anchovy fillets, drained
1 clove garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire
2 Tbsp. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 dashes of hot sauce

1. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.  Add the egg and cook for 45 seconds, until coddled.  Drain.  Let egg cool slightly.

2.  Throw everything except the egg and the oil into the bowl of a food processor or the tall cylindrical container that comes with your immersion blender. Blitz it until combined.  Crack your egg into the bowl and, if you're using the food processor, add the oil in a steady stream with the motor running.  If you're using an immersion blender, crack the egg, add the oil, and use the stick blender to mix it all together for about 30 seconds.  It should look like runny mayonnaise.  Refrigerate until ready to use (will keep for 1 day int the fridge).

Croutons

2 cups cubed Sourdough or French Bread
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning or whatever you want

1.  Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400.

2.  Place the bread on a baking sheet and toss with the oil and seasoning.  Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 6 minutes.  Let cool slightly, then add to your salad.

Cheers!

Strawberry (Balsamic) Cupcakes

Hi guys!

Whew.  Umm.  I don't know how things are looking from your end, but I am just going to say, I survived.  Two kids and two adults playing Russian Roulette with a stomach virus makes for an interesting (read: exhausting) week.  But I am here! I lived! And to prove that I am 100% back to normal, I'm going to talk to you about food.

Last time I told you that I ordered a new Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil (among about 15 other things) and that I would update you on how I like it.  So here it goes.  Friends, I am not kidding when I say that I love this oil.  I have used it on my salads with the Serrano Honey Vinegar and it tastes like bacon bits and heaven. I drizzled it on a plain old avocado with our new Sriracha Sea Salt and thought that I reinvented the wheel. Try making these Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts using the Smoked Olive Oil for Smokey, Sweet and Spicy Mixed Nuts because you will never go back to anything else.  For Father's Day (Happy Father's Day, by the way!), make these Shrimp and Grits.  Saute the shrimp in the Smoked Olive Oil instead of the Butter Olive Oil and stir in pimento cheese instead of Parmesan into the grits and you will be the savior of breakfast.  I really can't tell you enough how much it really adds a smokey, bacon-y-ness to any dish you're making. I hope you love it as much as I do.  It pairs really well with Ripe Peach White Balsamic or the Serrano Honey Vinegar.  What a Father's Day gift!

Not as innocent as she looks.

What else is new in our humble store, you ask?  Not much.  Just some new employees!  We have welcomed Bre and Emily into our midst.  I think you'll really like them. They're lovely! If one of them is working the next time you're in, say "hi" and they'll get to know our regulars soon enough. I am sorry to say that I have been spending a bit less time up at the store lately (stomach bug notwithstanding).  Matilda is nearly 1 year old and is an unruly sort of girl (don't let her sweet face deceive you), so she won't be on site as our little shop baby for much longer.  I'll still be here on Thursday mornings and on random Saturdays.  But never fear!  I'm not far away and you can always reach me via email, Facebook or Instagram.

The boy is Four!

Any who.  What is our sale of the month, you ask?  Strawberry Balsamic!  I know it seems sort of retro, as we've had this as a staple forever, but I rediscovered my love for it in the form of Strawberry Cupcakes.  For William's 4th (4th?!) Birthday, I wanted to make Strawberry Cupcakes from scratch, but that tasted as awesomely strawberry-y as the boxed kind (minus the artificial colors and flavors).  Lo and behold, the answer came to me as I was reaching for the strawberry extract in the baking isle.  Why not use Strawberry Balsamic?  Eureka! I tell you what, these little gems came out nice and fluffy, not too dense, pleasantly berry flavored, but not too sweet.  You should bring these to your next summer gathering, especially since the bake time is under 30 minutes.

The list of ingredients seems kind of daunting, but they're all pretty much pantry staples. The recipe does call for sour cream, but you could totally swap it out for yogurt.  I used Lemon Olive Oil for the 1/4 c. of oil called for, which I think added a nice brightness to it, but use whatever oil speaks to you.  Also, bring the butter, eggs, and sour cream all to room temperature before mixing and it will make for a nice, lump-free batter. Or just set them outside for 5 minutes because this heat is out of control and it'll have everything up to temperature in no time.  Oh and just so you know, these are not technicolor pink like the boxed kind, so if you're into that, add a few drops of red food coloring to your batter.  (Fun little tidbit, for every birthday I can remember I asked for Strawberry Cake From The Box with Funfetti Frosting.  This is the first recipe that even holds a candle to that strawberry goodness of Duncan Hines.) And, hey, you can use any leftover Strawberry Balsamic in a nice little martini while you wait for your cupcakes to bake!  I give you, Strawberry (Balsamic) Cupcakes. Enjoy, my friends!

Strawberry (Balsamic) Cupcakes

Strawberry (Balsamic Cupcakes)
Adapted from Grandbaby Cakes

Cupcakes:
1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. fresh strawberries, washed, hulled, and pureed (I food processored it)
3 large eggs, at room temperature

3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. sour cream, at room temperature

1/4 c. Lemon Olive Oil (or vegetable oil)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. Strawberry Balsamic

Buttercream:

3 1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 sticks butter, at room temperature

1/4 c. pureed strawberry 

1 tsp. Strawberry Balsamic, or more to taste

1.  Preheat the oven to 350.  Line two 12-well muffin tins with cupcake liners.
2.  Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer, or just in a really large bowl if you're doing this by hand, on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until pale and very fluffy.
3.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each one.
4.  Reduce your speed to low, add the strawberry puree. Scrape down sides.
5.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Slowly add half of this flour mixture to your egg mixture.  Mix on the lowest speed until just combined.
6.  Add in your sour cream and Lemon Olive Oil.  Mix until combined..
7.  Add in the remaining flour mixture on low speed until combined.  Then add the vanilla and Strawberry Balsamic. Be careful not to over mix.

8.  Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, fill your lined muffin tins 3/4 of the way full.
9.  Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when pushed into the middle of a cupcake,
10.  Let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  In the meantime make your martini.  I mean, frosting. Make your frosting.

For the Buttercream:
1.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large bowl if you're doing this by hand, mix together your powdered sugar and butter and beat until light and fluffy.
2.  Add the strawberry puree and Strawberry Balsamic and beat again until fully combined.
3.  Once cupcakes have fully cooled, pipe them with frosting and serve.

Okay!  That's all for now.  Take care out there and see you soon.

Cheers,
Andrea

Mother's Day Sale

Well hello there!

Don't mind me, I'm just over here eating cold pasta straight from the container.  It really takes me back to being a poor college student. The simple pasta itself (recipe below) and the fact that I am eating quickly reminds of a time long ago. Ah, the good old days.

First, let me say that this week we are not going to do a 3 For Thursday, because we are going to do 25% off your entire purchase for the whole week.  Happy Mother's Day Sale! Now through Saturday, come in and get a good present for your mama and a nice little bonus discount for yourself, as well.  Oh, and the sale oil for this month is Herbes de Provence (20% off all month).  Use it on your next grilled chicken and kick your summer off right!

We have quite a lot of new stuff here at our humble store. We have restocked soaps, dish towels, napkins, salts, chocolates, olives, and salami.  We have a new olive oil based face wash and moisturizer that I think you'll like.  The face wash is orange and juniper and it leaves your face feeling fresh and clean.  The moisturizer is super light weight, which I much prefer in this warm weather.  But there are two new things that I am really excited about.  Blenheim Apricot White Balsamic.  It is my favorite white balsamic to date.  And that is saying something.  This is going to be my summer drink shrub mixer (to go in whiskey or vodka or seltzer water), it's my tender greens topper, grilled chicken glazer, and all around winner.  It pairs best with the Basil Olive Oil and Roasted Almond Oil.

Which brings us to the...Roasted Almond Oil. Have you guys tried this yet?  It's amazing! I did not anticipate loving it so much. I used it in lieu of olive oil/butter to make scones last weekend (I have been watching entirely too much Great British Baking Show.  I want to be Mary Berry when I grow up) and they were incredible.  I threw in some diced dried apricot to go with that lovely aforementioned balsamic and toasted almond-y flavor.  Make them for your mother.  She would appreciate it.

Even though I just bombarded you with new merchandise to explore the next time you come in, I am just going to quickly tell you that we're getting some new(er) things in next week, too.  I haven't tried them yet, so don't get too excited, but today I ordered a brand new olive oil.  An Olive Wood Smoked Olive Oil.  I'll give you the scoop once I have actually tried it, but I have visions of grilled fish, roasted nuts, green beans, and maybe even some jalapeno cheddar cornbread.  I don't know!  I can't wait!  Oh yeah, and I ordered more salami.  This time we're getting in a Cerveza Seca, which won a Good Food Award back when it was launched.  No big deal, but I think beer salami and smoked olive oil scream "cook out/Memorial Day."  I hope you agree, because I'm not sure if we can be friends otherwise.

I feel like it has been a rather busy Spring/Monsoon Season/Now Acting Like It's Already Summer, so I have not been cooking a ton.  (Baking, yes.  Curse you, Mary Berry.)  The other night I wanted to throw something together that was quick and easy and cheap.  I remembered a pasta that I used to make all the time way back in the day.  My husband (then boyfriend) dubbed it "favorite pasta," for lack of a better name. You need garlic, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, pasta, and olive oil/butter.  You can get fancy and throw in some spinach that has been wilting in the back of your refrigerator, the last little bit of heavy cream at the bottom of the carton, a dollop of pesto, etc.  The point is, it's really simple and you can customize it to make it your own.  I give you...Favorite Pasta!

Favorite Pasta

1 lb. long pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine)
2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 container mushrooms, washed and sliced
 5 oz. container cherry tomatoes, washed
1/4 c. or more olive oil (Garlic, Basil, Tuscan Herb, Herbes de Provence, or EVOO)
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan, optional
Heavy cream, optional
Basil, optional
Spinach, optional

1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package. Drain, and set aside.

2  Meanwhile, over medium heat, melt butter in large skillet and add mushrooms.  Cook until all the liquid is gone and mushrooms are brown, approximately 8 minutes.  Add garlic to the pan and saute until fragrant, 1 minute.  Now add cherry tomatoes and cook until blistered and cracking, about 3 minutes.

3.  Add your cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of olive oil to the pan of mushrooms and tomatoes.  Add some salt, pepper, Parmesan, and anything else your heart desires.  Serve warm.  Or cold, straight from the container in the fridge.

I hope I see your lovely faces soon.  In the mean time, Happy Mother's Day!

Cheers,

Andrea

P.S. If you're not into mushrooms, swap them for asparagus.  I know there are a lot of fungi haters out there. You're weird.

A Cautionary Tale

Hi friends!

Was it worth it?  Absolutely. 

Let me begin by telling you my story of woe, so you do not repeat my mistakes.  In the past week, two bottles of olive oil have met an untimely demise.  The first incident was when I reached, on tip toes, into my unorganized and overcrowded spice/olive oil storage cabinet and instead of taking the extra five seconds to move a bottle out of the way to get to the bottle behind it, I knocked the first bottle onto the floor and spent the next 30 minutes cleaning up Cayenne Chili Olive Oil and a broken bottle (and heart).  All the while I had to endure listening to my son say, "Mom, did you make a big mess?  You have to clean up your messes!"  Yes, William.  Thank you.  Later that day my husband said, "Is Matilda holding broken glass?" Yes.  Yes, she was.  Parent of the year!  The next incident occurred two days later.  I ran into Cask & Grove to refill my Butter Olive Oil so that we could have our afternoon popcorn snack at home and did not seal my bottle.  Oh no, I'm just taking it from the store to the car to the house.  Nothing will happen!  Famous last words.  The cork came out and now my purse/diaper bag and the contents therein will forever and always smell like Butter Olive Oil and tears.  So, my dears, take those extra moments to move your bottle out of the way and get them sealed up tight, and you can avoid my misery.

"What's new at the store," you ask?  Oh, quite a bit.  We finally(!) have the Lavender Balsamic for Spring.  You can grab some Lavender Balsamic to put on your fresh farmers' market greens. I love Market time! We also have a lovely new California Roasted Almond Oil.  It's delicately nutty and will surely be a new favorite.  Thanks, California, for not being in a drought anymore; we really appreciate your Almond Oil. All of our Extra Virgin Olive Oils are fantastic Northern Hemisphere crops.  We have a Melgarejo Hojiblanca and a Melgarejo Koroneiki from Spain, a robust Cobrancosa from Portugal, which will soon be replaced by a robust Galega from Portugal, and an Organic Arbequina and Organic Arbosana from California.  I ordered more of those chili and garlic stuffed olives that we were missing for a while. Oh! And we now have a super spicy, excellently flavorful Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil, which is our sale oil for the time being! 20% off the Baklouti, folks, for all your spicy needs.

New stuff!  Hooray!

"What recipe are you going to give me to go with your sale oil," you ask?  Green Chili Chocolate Cake.  No, just kidding! Fajitas. Amazing, life changing fajitas. I do not have any photos of the fajitas I made, because I ate them too quickly.  By the time I remembered to take a picture, my plate was wiped clean. The marinade comes together really quickly and gives your fajitas a nice clean spice that you can't quite place.  They are smokey, thanks to the cumin and chili powder, and sizzly, thanks to cooking them on a high heat. You should make them this weekend!  I think I will, too.  Maybe I'll remember to snap a photo this time around.

What you do is: make the marinade, put half of it in a large ziploc and add your steak or chicken (or tofu, if that's what you do), put the other half in another large ziploc and add your onions, peppers and mushrooms.  Refrigerate both bags for an hour or a day or however long you remember to marinate things.  Light a grill or a cast iron skillet over medium high heat and do your veggies first, until they they are cooked to your liking.  Put them on a plate, set it aside and do your meat or non-meat to your desired doneness. Mix together your meat and veggies and you have...FAJITAS! Put them together with your favorite fixings.  I like salsa, sour cream, guacamole, a few black beans, jalapenos, maybe some queso, cilantro and really, it just all falls apart onto my plate, so I use a tortilla to mop it up, just like I was mopping up that spilled Cayenne Oil.  I'm still bitter.

See you guys soon!

Baklouti Green Chili Fajita Marinade
Adapted only slightly from Ree Drummond

1/2 c. Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil
1/3 c. Lime juice, fresh squeezed from 3-4 limes
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. Cumin
1 Tbsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

1 Flank Steak or Chicken Breasts (1 lb? 1.5?)
3 Bell Peppers, sliced thin
2 Onions, sliced thin

Matilda on Fajita (Guacamole) Night

1 package Mushrooms, sliced

In a large bowl, mix together all the marinade ingredients. Marinate your meat in one ziploc bag or glass dish and your veggies in a separate bag or dish for 1-3 hours.

Grill or cook your veggies in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat until cooked to your desire (8 minutes?).  Put your veggies on a plate and set aside.  Grill or cook your steak until medium (another 8 minutes?) and then let rest for 5 minutes.  Slice your meat, toss it with your veggies and serve.

Cheers,
Andrea

Let Them Eat Cake

Hi friends!

I'm just going to lay it out there. I don't care if you have the strictest New Year's Resolutions known to man, sometimes you need cake.  Like, you must eat cake now or else the world will end.  That has been me this week.  A teething baby, a toddler who is notorious for stealing all of your caffeinated beverages and then running around the house at full speed for the rest of the day, a barrage of laundry, dishes, etc. etc. etc.  Sometimes you just need cake.  And then you get a stroke of genius and decide to use Blood Orange Olive Oil in your favorite Chocolate Cake recipe and BAM! (does Emeril still do that?) you have magic Blood Orange Chocolate Cake that completes you.  I'll come back to that.

Up here at Cask & Grove we have a few new things.  We got in a shipment this week of Northern Hemisphere olive oils.  We have an Organic California Arbequina, Spanish Melgarejo Picual and Melgarejo Koroneiki, and a Portuguese Cobrancosa. Hopefully we will replace all of our May 2016 with this November 2016 crop by the end of the week. Some of those Southern Hemisphere oils will be marked down, so come and get them while you can! I'm very excited to have these few Northern Hemisphere oils in our midst and we should be getting more in as the season progresses, so I'll keep you updated.

By the way, thank you for entertaining my baby when I bring her up to the store in the afternoons.  She has been pretty tolerant, but I know some days she is fussier than others.  Thanks for bearing with us!

We are very nearly out of the Baklouti Green Chili Oil.  We'll get more, don't worry, but it may still be a few weeks.  They crush this one in Tunisia and it still hasn't arrived in port in California.  Soon, friends.  Soon. One pound of olive oil per 1.6 pounds of fresh green chilies?  It's intense and green and lovely.  If you have never tried it, believe me, it is worth the wait.

After you guys wiped us out over Christmas (hard the believe that was less than a month ago and thank you all for your support of our small business), I decided that we should keep our Charlito's Cocina hand made sausages around.  I really love them.  It's a small, artisan operation and those guys are super nice and easy to work with and they make one heck of a salami, so we're keeping them!  The also recently got a sweet write up in Bon Appetit.  I ordered the Salami Picante (the one featured in the article), which has an impressive spicy kick and the Campo Seco, which is truly a salami purist's dream. The only ingredients are: Heritage Breed Pork, Hand Raked Sea Salt, Evaporated Cane Juice, Celery Juice Extract, Starter Culture, and Natural Casing.  Pure joy!

I think that's all the store news.  Back to the cake.  I don't often use the Blood Orange Olive Oil in my day to day cooking, or even as a favorite salad oil.  But I love to bake with it.  You can make these scones with it or use it as the oil/butter needed in pancakes, waffles, or sugar cookies. It really is a great substitute to have around. It also happens to be the Flavor of the Month, so it's 20% off!

This is a delightfully easy recipe that you kind of can't mess up.  I guess you could burn it, but there isn't much I can do about that.  I would never go so far as to say that this cake is "healthy", but it does at least try to have some redeemable qualities.  First, it's vegan, so no eggs or dairy. (You could, of course, use regular milk instead of the almond milk and then it would no longer be vegan.)  Second, it has a fair bit of applesauce in it to cut back on the amount of oil needed. And third, the oil that you need is Blood Orange Olive Oil, which is quite a bit tastier than Canola Oil.

No special equipment is needed for this cake.  Two bowls, a whisk, and two cake pans (or one rectangular pan) are all you need to get the job done.  I like doing things the old fashioned way.  Mix all the wet ingredients in one bowl, all the dry ingredients in the other bowl, whisk them together until they're smooth.  Pour them into the greased cake pans and bake them until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean when you poke it into the middle.  Let the cakes cool on a wire rack.

Don't forget to lick the bowl clean.

While your cakes are baking/cooling, make your frosting.  I'm a big fan of playing with frosting until it looks/tastes right.  But I start by putting the softened (vegan) butter, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder into a food processor fitted with a blade and whizzing it until it's all smooth.  Then I start splashing in the Blood Orange Olive Oil, vanilla, and Almond Milk and pulse until it is as thick or thin as I want it on that particular day.  If you need it thicker, add more powdered sugar or, thinner, more Almond Milk.  You could do all this without the food processor and just use a bowl and whisk, but I am lazy.  Any who, once your cakes are cooled, put a nice amount of frosting between your cake layers, and all over the outside and you are done!

Enjoy, my friends, and see you soon.

Cheers!
Andrea


Blood Orange Chocolate Cake (Revised)
Adapted from Minimalist Baker

1 1/2 c. Unsweetend Almond Milk (or Soy Milk or Milk Milk)
2 tsp. White or Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/4 c. (307 g.) Unsweetend Applesauce
1/2 c. Brewed Coffee
2/3 c. (160 ml) Blood Orange Olive Oil
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2 c. (320 g.) All Purpose Flour
1 1/3 c. (266 g.) Cane Sugar
1 c. (96 g.) Cocoa Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt

Frosting
1/2 c. Earth Balance Vegan Butter (or regular Butter, if you want), room temperature
1 1/2 c. Powdered Sugar
1/2 c. Cocoa Powder
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
2-3 Tbsp. Almond Milk
1 Tbsp. Blood Orange Olive Oil

1.  Preheat oven to 350 and spray two 9-inch cake pans. Or I suppose you could use a rectangular pan, but your cooking time may vary.

2.  Pour the Almond Milk and vinegar into a large mixing bowl and let it sit for a few minutes (it will turn into vegan buttermilk).  Add the applesauce, coffee, oil, and vanilla to the bowl and whisk until foamy.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Now pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth.

4.  Divide the batter into your two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until when you stick a toothpick into the center, it comes out clean.  Let cool.

5.  While cake is cooling, make your frosting.  Put everything in a bowl and whisk it, or put it in a food processor and pulse until it's smooth.  I don't follow an exact recipe for frosting.  If it's too thick, add a slash more Almond Milk (or leftover coffee), if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.  Taste as you go and you'll get it right.

6.  Once cakes are cooled generously frost them, putting one layer or frosting between the cakes and then coating the whole outside in sweet glory.