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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Lamb Tagine with Olives and Lemon

My wife, Meghan, and I took advantage of our proximity to Morocco to spend a long weekend there. We fell in love with tagines and ordered several during our visit. If you don’t own a tagine—the large ceramic vessel with a conical top that seems unique to North Africa— use a Dutch oven to cook the stew. 

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • Two 2 1/2-inch strips of lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
  • 4 cups water
  • 6 large carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cups pitted green Picholine olives 
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
  • One 3-inch cinnamon stick
  • Kosher salt
  • 3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces 
  • 1 cup at-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • Couscous, for serving 

Directions

Step 1

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, saffron, cinnamon stick, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours. 

Step 2

Tip the lamb and spices into a large tagine or a medium enameled cast-iron casserole; discard the lemon zest. Add the water, carrots, and onion and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours. 

Step 2

Spoon off any fat from the broth. Stir in the olives, season with salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice. (Discard the cinnamon stick.) Ladle into bowls and serve with couscous and extra olive oil for drizzling. 

Serves 8Recipe from Food and Wine, October 2008

Chicken with Romesco Sauce

Originally concocted by shermen in Tarragona, Catalonia, olive oil- and nut-based romesco sauce is often served with seafood. This dish is perfect for a casual supper with friends. Accompany it with a green salad. 

Ingredients

  • For the chicken:
  • 12 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
  • 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
  • For the romesco sauce:
  • 2 whole red peppers, cored and seeded, cut into halves
  • 2 ripe tomatoes, stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 1 to 2 pieces of stale bread, crusts removed, roughly torn
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
  • 12 toasted Marcona almonds, plus extra for serving
  • 12 whole hazelnuts, skinned
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon Spanish sherry vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon
  • Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Step 1

Preheat your oven’s broiler. Place the pepper halves, skin side up, on a broiler pan and broil until the skins are black, 3 to 5 minutes. Allow the peppers to rest for 10 minutes. Peel off the blackened skin, then coarsely chop the peppers. 

Step 2

Make the romesco sauce. In a food processor or blender, combine the peppers, tomatoes, bread, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, cumin, and paprika. Slowly add the olive oil and sherry vinegar and blend lightly until you have a chunky paste with the consistency of pesto. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. The sauce is best if made the day before. (Cover and refrigerate if making ahead. Warm to room temperature before serving.) 

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large oven-safe skillet, brown the chicken thighs for 3 minutes on each side. Add the thyme and garlic. Place the skillet in the oven and roast the thighs, skin side down, for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. 

Step 4

Serve the roasted chicken thighs on a bed of romesco sauce, topped with some crushed almonds and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Serves 6Recipe adapted from Javier De La Hormaza, basconefoods.com 

Spanish Cod with Celery Salsa Verde

We often detect celery leaf–like flavors in the superior-quality oils we deliver to your table and were excited to find the following recipe. It uses celery leaves in a deliciously creative way. 

Ingredients

  • For the salsa:
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  • 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 
  • For the cod:
  • 2 skinless cod fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 lemon wedges, seeded 

Directions

Step 1

Make the celery salsa verde: In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mustard, and salt. Stir in the celery leaves, mint, parsley, and 1/3 cup of olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust the salt as needed. 

Step 2

Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large skillet, warm the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Carefully lay the fillets in the hot oil and cook until the sh separates into opaque white flakes. Transfer to dinner plates. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon and the celery salsa verde 

Serves 2Recipe adapted from Jamesbeard.org 

Grilled Cauliflower Fajitas

One of the best things about fajitas is that you can stuff them with anything that suits your fancy. If dairy’s not a concern, shredded cheese is a winner, and so is a dollop of sour cream. If you want to double up on the veggies, add some shredded lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and more onions and peppers. Half the fun is letting everyone put together the combo of ingredients they like best. This recipe was adapted from a dish served at El Toro Blanco, a wonderful Mexican restaurant in New York City.

With over 6 percent of Americans identifying as vegan and millions more describing themselves as “vegetarianinclined,” a meatless main course option belongs in your recipe repertoire.

Ingredients

  • 1 head cauliflower, green leaves and stem removed
  • 1 orange or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 poblano pepper, stemmed, seeds and veins removed
  • 1 white onion, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
  • 1 tablespoon merquén or pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as cilantro, parsley, and basil, stemmed and chopped
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 cup salsa or pico de gallo
  • Lime wedges

Directions

Step 1

Cut the cauliflower into florets and slice the red and poblano peppers into long strips. Place the cauliflower, peppers, and onions in a large bowl. Whisk together the ancho powder, merquén or pimentón, cumin, salt, and olive oil and add to the vegetables, tossing until they’re thoroughly coated. Transfer to a grill basket.

Step 2

Preheat your grill to medium-high, and then grill the cauliflower mixture until slightly charred and tender-crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, transfer to a platter, and sprinkle with the pine nuts and herbs. While the grill is still hot, warm the tortillas. To serve, let each person fill two tortillas with equal amounts of the cauliflower mixture and top with salsa or pico de gallo and a squeeze of lime.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from El Toro Blanco, New York, NY