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Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club

Squash and Kale Toasts

Creamy delicata squash pairs perfectly with Tuscan (aka Dinosaur or Black) kale. Need heat? Red pepper flakes!

Ingredients

  • 2 small delicata squash
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing the bread
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pound Tuscan kale, thick stems and ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of coarse bread
  • 4 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Step 2

Peel the squash and halve each lengthwise, then seed and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, toss the squash with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, turning once, until tender and lightly browned.

Step 4

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining olive oil; add the water and hot red pepper flakes, if using. Add the kale. Cook the kale until it’s wilted, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic slices and cook until the kale is tender, about 3 minutes longer. Season the kale with salt and pepper. Add the squash and toss gently to combine.

Makes 8 toasts — Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, March 2011

Twice-Baked Breakfast Potatoes

Talk about a reason to get up in the morning! These Instagram-worthy twice-baked potatoes will wow your family or guests. Feel free to substitute sweet potatoes for russets. And for a vegetarian option, replace the bacon with sautéed mushrooms. We recommend a final drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the potato before serving.

Ingredients

  • 2 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and pricked with a fork all over
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons for the mash
  • Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives or scallions, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Step 2

Rub the outside of the potatoes with the 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack in the center of the oven and bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender in the center. (A bamboo skewer should pierce them easily.) Remove the potatoes from the oven and cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Cover a baking sheet with foil for easier clean-up. Using a sharp knife, slice each potato in half length- wise and hollow each half out with a spoon or melon baller, scooping the potato flesh into a mixing bowl. (It’s important that you do this while the potatoes are still hot.) Arrange the potato shells on the prepared baking sheet, making sure they are fairly level. (You can prop them upright with crumpled foil if necessary.)

Step 4

Add the remaining olive oil and cream to the scooped potato and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Spread 2 tablespoons of the mashed potato mixture in the bottom of each hollowed potato skin; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the cheese (you may have some remaining mashed potato left to nibble on). Arrange a slice of bacon lengthwise on each potato, tucking it into the hollowed-out potato shell. Break the eggs individually into a small bowl, then gently pour into the potato shells. Try not to break the yolks.

Step 6

Lower the oven temperature to 375˚F and bake the potatoes until the egg whites have just set and the yolks are still runny, 18 to 24 minutes.

Step 7

Top each potato with a sprinkle of the remaining cheese, season with salt and pepper, garnish with chives, and drizzle with EVOO.

Serves 4 — Recipe adapted from spoonforkbacon.com

Braised Fennel and Lentils

For this recipe, we prefer the green French lentils sold as Le Puy or Du Puy. Though in a pinch, you could substitute brown lentils. Save a few of the fennel bulb’s feathery fronds for a garnish.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, the bulb thinly sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups green (Le Puy) lentils, rinsed and sorted
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or more to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and fennel. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the lentils, tomato paste, bay leaves, and stock. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or until the lentils are cooked but not mushy.

Step 2

Pour off any excess stock. Turn off the heat, stir in the mustard, if using, and season to taste with additional salt, if desired.

Step 3

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Serves 4 to 6 — Recipe adapted from delicious.com.au

Easy Pizza Dough for Personal Pies

Using bread flour is the secret for crusty pizza—one that holds up to a lot of sauce and toppings! You can make two large rounds from this dough, but making individual pizzas is more fun. Note: If you’re able to find instant yeast, you can streamline the technique even further, as it can be mixed with the other dry ingredients for a few seconds before adding the water and oil, before proceeding with the kneading as described. 

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water, about 110-115°F, plus more as needed
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons (or one envelope) active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 4 cups bread flour, plus more as needed 
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Directions

Step 1

Place the water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attached. Turn it on for a few seconds to mix and then wait 5 minutes for the yeast to bubble up. 

Step 2

With the mixer on the lowest setting, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the salt, and the flour to the bowl. Once a doughy mass forms, slowly raise the speed and continue kneading until the dough ball is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If the dough feels too dry, add more water, a scant tablespoon at a time. If too wet, add more flour, a scant tablespoon at a time.

Step 3

Lift the dough out of the bowl, remove the dough hook, and pour in the last tablespoon of olive oil, coating the bowl thoroughly. Place the dough back in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise for about 60 minutes or so (depending on how warm your kitchen is) until double in size and spongy.

Step 4

Preheat your oven to 450° or 500°F, depending on how high it goes. Gently transfer the dough from the bowl to a large piece of parchment paper. Use a knife or pastry cutter to cut the dough into quarters. Transfer three of the pieces onto their own sheets of parchment. If the dough is sticky, first sprinkle the parchment paper with flour or some cornmeal. One piece at a time, stretch out the dough with your hands, rotating it by quarter turns until it reaches your desired thickness. The shape—round, rectangle, or oblong—is up to you, but keep a slight lip all along the perimeter. Transfer the pizzas to large baking sheets (you should be able to fit two per sheet). Use scissors to trim the parchment to within two inches of the dough.

Step 5

Working in batches as needed based on your oven capacity, bake the pizzas for 8 minutes. Carefully take them out of the oven, add your desired toppings, and return to the oven for another 8 to 10 minutes or until bubbly.

 Yields 4 individual pizzas