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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Olive Oil Egg Salad

We like to mound this salad in the middle of an attractive plate or bowl and surround it with Belgian endive in a flower petal pattern. It makes a lovely keto-friendly appetizer.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 large white onion, peeled and diced
  • 8 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Sliced bread, endive or treviso spears, crackers, or lettuce leaves, for serving

Directions

Step 1

In a large skillet set over medium-low heat, heat the oil until it’s shimmering. Add the garlic and onions, stir to coat with the oil, and then cover. Cook, stirring now and then, until the garlic and onion are very soft, about 30 minutes. It may be necessary to reduce the heat slightly to keep them from scorching and to add a touch of olive oil if anything starts sticking to the skillet.

Step 2

Remove the skillet from the heat. Use the back of a fork to mash the warm garlic and onion until the mixture is a soft, jam-like consistency. Push the onions and garlic to the side and use the back of the same fork to mash the eggs into a soft spread. Incorporate the mushy garlic-onion paste into the eggs and stir until fully incorporated. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Serve the egg salad on toasted bread as a sandwich or with endive, crackers, or lettuce leaves as an hors d’oeuvre.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from Straight Up Tasty by Adam Richman (Clarkson Potter, 2015)

Garden Vegetable Platter

We are apartment dwellers and don’t have a garden, but we’re always beguiled by the jewel-like colors of just picked produce at the Saturday farmer’s market. When vegetables are this fresh, they only need a quick dip in olive oil.

Ingredients

  • 12 small rainbow carrots, preferably with tops, scrubbed
  • 3 small heads fennel, ends and tough outer leaves trimmed
  • 2 bunches baby turnips (about 12) or 6 medium regular turnips
  • 2 or 3 bunches small red radishes with leaves
  • 2 scarlet turnips or 1 watermelon radish (optional), thinly sliced crosswise
  • Fresh extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Step 1

Trim the carrot tops, if using, to about 1/2 inch, and trim the root hairs, then cut the carrots in half lengthwise. Cut the fennel lengthwise into slender wedges. Set the vegetables in a large bowl of ice water for about 1 hour to crisp.

Step 2

Meanwhile, if using baby turnips, trim the tops to about 1/2 inch, then quarter the turnips; or cut regular turnips into slender wedges. Remove all but a few small leaves on each radish; swish the radishes in water to clean. Crisp the turnips and radishes in another bowl of ice water for about 45 minutes.

Step 3

Drain and dry the vegetables and arrange on a large platter. (Drape with damp paper towels if they’ll be standing before serving.) Serve with oil for dunking

Serves 8 — Recipe adapted from sunset.com

Gazpacho

Here’s another great recipe I picked up from chef Arantxa Lamas during my time in Spain. It’s keto-friendly, too—a plus in my book.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes, each cored and sliced into eighths
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar, or more to taste
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea), to taste
  • Optional garnishes: Finely diced red or green bell pepper, red or white onion, or cucumber

Directions

Step 1

In a nonreactive mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Stir to macerate the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Step 2

Use an immersion blender to puree the gazpacho. Strain through a food mill. Taste, adding more salt or vinegar, if needed. Cover and chill until serving time. Serve in chilled bowls with your choice of garnishes and a few drops of olive oil.

Serves 4 — Recipe courtesy of chef Arantxa Lamas

White Bean Bruschetta

Never before have I been so aware of the many varieties of beans and other legumes grown in the Mediterranean and the resourceful ways they are utilized by the region’s talented cooks. The white bean bruschetta Meghan and I ate in Florence (splashed with just-pressed EVOO) was delicious beyond description.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked white beans (like cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed
  • 3 small Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, diced
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil, divided use, plus more for drizzling
  • 1/4 cup basil, julienned
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 baguette, cut diagonally into 1/3-inch slices

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, mix the beans, tomatoes, olives, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, the basil, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Step 2

Place the bread on a baking sheet. Brush with the remaining olive oil. Broil a few inches from the heat for about 1 minute per side, or until golden. (Alternatively, you can grill the bread on an outdoor grill.)

Step 3

Drizzle olive oil on each slice of bread and top with the bean mixture. Drizzle more olive oil on top, if desired.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from seriouseats.com