Frying thick slices of bread in olive oil on only one side gives you a magical combination of crisp and soft so that the bread can soak up the tomato juices without getting soggy.

Ingredients

6 oz. fresh ricotta, preferably sheep’s milk

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling

Flaky sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large heirloom tomatoes, cut into 1 1/2" pieces

1/2 small shallot, finely chopped

1/2 small garlic clove, finely grated

1/2 cup basil leaves

1/4 cup parsley leaves with tender stems

1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 (1"-thick) slices of Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

Step 1

Mix ricotta and 2 Tbsp. oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Step 2

Toss tomatoes, shallot, garlic, basil, parsley, and vinegar in a medium bowl; season with salt. Heat 4 Tbsp. oil in a skillet large enough to fit bread in a single layer over medium. Fry bread until deep golden brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, sprinkle fried side with salt, and cut into 1 1/2" pieces. Toss into tomato mixture.

Step 3

Spread ricotta mixture over plates and top with salad; drizzle with more oil.

This recipe comes to us from Epicurious and is the perfect combination of beautiful fresh herbs and bright olive oil.

A healthy dose of olive oil gives this rosemary-infused bread a rich, moist crumb and pale golden hue; it also helps it keep a little better than other breads.

Ingredients

Makes 1 large boule

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, plus more as needed

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves

Step 1

Combine the flour, yeast, and salt in a food processor. Turn on the machine and add the olive oil through the feed tube, followed by 3/4 cup water. Process for about 30 seconds, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch.

Step 2

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and, by hand, knead in the rosemary until the dough feels smooth. Put it in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until the dough doubles in size, about 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time as short as 1 hour if you are in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 8 hours. At this point, you may also wrap the dough tightly in plastic and freeze for up to a month; defrost in a covered bowl in the refrigerator or at room temperature.)

Step 3

Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Shape the dough into a boule, sprinkling with flour as necessary but keeping it to a minimum. Line a colander or large bowl with a well-floured kitchen towel, set the loaf in the bowl, and cover with another towel (this keeps it from spreading too much). Let the dough rise for at least an hour and preferably longer, up to 2 hours.

Step 4

About 45 minutes before the dough has risen, heat the oven to 425°F. Put an ovenproof skillet (preferably cast iron) on the floor or the lowest rack while the oven heats. If you’re using a baking stone, put it on the rack above the skillet while the oven heats; if not, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 5

Once you’re ready to bake, slide or turn the dough out onto a lightly floured peel or flexible cutting board, seam side down, or just transfer it to the prepared baking sheet. Rub the loaf with a little flour (this helps prevent scorching) and slash the top with a sharp knife or razor blade. Use the peel or cutting board to slide the loaf onto the baking stone or slide the baking sheet into the oven. Partially pull out the rack with the heated skillet and very carefully pour 1 cup hot water into the skillet (it will create a lot of steam). Slide the rack back in and immediately close the oven door

Step 6

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, turning the bread or the baking sheet halfway through, until the crust is golden brown, the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, and the internal temperature reaches 200°F on a quick-read thermometer. If the bread is browning too quickly, lower the temperature to 400°F. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Baba ganoush is a delicious dip made from roasted eggplants, originating in the Mediterranean. It’s creamy, savory, and has an irresistibly smoky flavor. Top with a drizzle of Grove 45 and some high quality flake salt and you have the perfect (and healthy) snack.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplants, approx 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total

3 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

1-2 teaspoons chopped parsley, for garnishing

Turn your stovetop to medium-high heat and place your eggplants above the flames. Use tongs to rotate the eggplant every 3-4 minutes. Roast for about 15 minutes, until the skin is deeply charred and the eggplant starts to deflate.

Place the eggplants in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow them to steam and cool for 15 minutes, so that excess liquid can be removed.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh onto a cutting board. Roughly chop the eggplants to break apart the stringy bits.

Add the chopped eggplants to a large mixing bowl and use a fork to mash it up. Once it becomes a nice chunky consistency, add in the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and parsley. Give everything a good stir until it’s well combined.

Transfer the final baba ganoush into a small bowl and garnish with extra chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.

Enjoy!

Elevate a holiday classic with poached pears and pistachios as you wow your friends and family with this beautiful take on a olive oil cake from Bake From Scratch.

Pear-Pistachio Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (112 grams) extra-virgin olive oil

• ⅔ cup (64 grams) almond flour

• ⅓ cup (80 grams) whole milk

• 1 tablespoon (15 grams) tightly packed lemon zest

• 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon (1 gram) almond extract

• 1⅓ cups (167 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1½ teaspoons (7.5 grams) baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt

• 1 large Anjou or Bosc pear (230 grams)

• 2 teaspoons (10 grams) lemon juice

• ½ cup (46 grams) minced pistachios

• Garnish: confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray with flour; line bottom of pan with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs at high speed until uniform in color and foamy, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium speed, gradually add granulated sugar in a slow, steady stream. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low speed, gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, beating until combined; scrape sides of bowl. Add almond flour, milk, lemon zest, and extracts, and beat at medium speed until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold all-purpose flour mixture into egg mixture just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Cut pear in half. Core each half, and cut off top part of pear and stem. Cut pear halves into ⅛-inch-thick slices. Divide slices into groups of 4 to 5. Fan slices, and gently place on top of cake batter. (See Note.) Gently brush lemon juice onto pear slices. Sprinkle pistachio bits around edge of batter and between groups of fanned pears.

5. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Serve warm, or let cool completely on base of pan on a wire rack.

6. Before serving, cut a 7-inch circle from parchment paper; place in center of cake. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift confectioners’ sugar onto edges of cake and sprinkle remaining pistaschio bits.

Notes

It is very difficult to move the pear slices once they’ve been placed on the batter, so be intentional about the placement.

When you look up the word “Decadent” in the distionary, THIS is what you’ll see a photo of!

A fantastic, chocolately dessert that comes from the brilliant mind of chef Michael Schwartz. Finish it with Grove 45 and you have a dessert that defines the name.

Ingredients

Cremoso

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar

• 5 large egg yolks

• 1 pound good-quality milk chocolate, chopped

Espresso Parfait

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1 tablespoon strong-brewed espresso, cooled

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• 5 thin slices of white sandwich bread, halved diagonally and crusts trimmed

• 1/2 cup roasted hazelnuts, chopped

• Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for drizzling

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  In a saucepan, heat the cream with the granulated sugar until hot to the touch. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Gradually whisk in 1 cup of the hot cream. Scrape the mixture into the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, whisking, until slightly thickened, 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the chocolate and let stand until melted, 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours.

• Step 2

  In a bowl, beat the cream with the confectioners' sugar, espresso and vanilla until firm. Spoon the cream into ten 1/2-cup ramekins and freeze until firm.

• Step 3

  Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter the bread on both sides. Toast on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes, or until golden.

• Step 4

  Spoon the milk-chocolate cremoso onto plates, sprinkle with the hazelnuts and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Serve the espresso parfait and toast on the side.

Make Ahead

The cremoso can be refrigerated for up to 3 days; the espresso parfait can be frozen for up to 1 week.

Here is an amazing recipe for those who want to take entertaining to the next level.

Combine wild caught King Salmon with Napa Valley’s finest olive oil and you have an amazing dish worthy of it’s ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 quart extra-virgin olive oil + 2 cups for chili infusion

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets

Espelette pepper oil

Large Flake Salt

2 large radicchio, halved

4 large squash blossoms

Directions

Combine 1 cup of Grove 45 EVOO with espelette pepper oil, mix well and set aside.

Halve radicchio, sear until wilted using grill pan

Wilt squash blossoms

Let the salmon come to room temperature and season generously with salt. Add the salmon fillets to the pan with the olive oil. Let the fish cook in the oil on low for 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from the oil with a fish spatula to a plate before serving.

Add radicchio and squash blossom to plate with salmon. Sprinkle with flaked salt and drizzle oil over plate right before serving.

Here is one of our all-time favorites with a holiday season twist.
Fresh orange zest and juice work best, but use what you have!

Ingredients

·        3 heavy tbsp freshly grated orange zest

·        1 1/2 cups white sugar

·        2 3/4 cups flour

·        1 teaspoon baking powder

·        1/2 teaspoon baking soda

·        1/2 teaspoon salt

·        12 ounces cranberries (fresh or frozen, we prefer fresh)

·        3 large eggs room temperature

·        1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

·        1 cup Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

1.                Preheat oven to 350.

2.                Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside

3.                In a small bowl, combine orange zest with sugar and mix well. 

4.                Beat the eggs together with the sugar and zest.  Beat for a 2-3 minutes and then slowly pour in the orange juice and then the Grove 45 olive oil.

5.               Sowly add in the flour mixture,  leave behind about 1/4 cup of the flour.  Add the cranberries to this 1/4 cup of flour and toss to coat.  Once the flour in the mixing bowl has been well incorporated with the wet ingredients, add in the flour coated cranberries.  Mix only until incorporated; do not over mix because doing so might crush your cranberries.  Alternatively, you can add and mix in the cranberries by hand using a rubber spatula.

6.                Grease a cake or muffin pan with cooking spray or vegetable oil.  Pour in the batter and then use a knife to swirl the batter a bit, in order to help distribute the cranberries.

7.                Bake on the middle rack of your oven for approximately 60 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool almost completely before removing it from the pan.

This recipe comes to us from Chef Jack Herron of Eat It, Make It, Grow It in Sonoma, California.
Drizzle with some chili infused Grove 45 EVOO and you have a fall comfort dish that will please even the pickiest of eaters.

Ingredients:

·       1 cup Heirloom Corn Polenta Meal (or other quality polenta meal)

·       4 cups Water (or Chicken Stock)

·       4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

·       1 teaspoon Salt + salt to finish

·       ½ Tablespoon Black Fermented Garlic chopped

·       1 teaspoon Espelette Chili Flake

·       Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 Yields about 4 cups

Procedure:

In a medium sauce pot, bring 4 cups water or stock to a boil over medium-high heat.
Add 1 teaspoon of salt. 
Slowly pour 1 cup corn polenta meal into boiling water while whisking and continue whisking until polenta is thickened and smooth.  Turn heat down to low and continue cooking for 30 minutes.  Whisk every few minutes to check consistency and add more water or stock if polenta seems too thick.  
Add 4 Tablespoons butter and whisk until melted and incorporated. 
After 30 minutes of cook time, taste the polenta and add more salt to taste as needed.
Serve polenta in a bowl garnished with black garlic, espelette chili flake, and a generous drizzle of Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

This dish is also great served with sautéed mushrooms, shaved parmesan, caramelized onion, and a sprinkle of wild fennel pollen.

Enjoy!

This is the perfect spring brunch item and there is no better time to whip one up than for Easter.
Made with fresh, seasonal asparagus and local goat cheese, it’s a perenial favorite of the Grove 45 team.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound asparagus

• 1 package of puff pastry (or homemade phyllo dough)

• 1/4 cup cream cheese

• 1/2 cup goat cheese

• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

• 2 tbsp Grove 45 Exyra Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Trim down your asparagus, removing the thick, wood-y bottom.

3. Boil a large pot of water and quickly blanch your asparagus, boiling for 2-3 minutes until bright grill.

4. Toss onto grill, or grill pan, to add some char and flavor.

5. In a bowl, combine the three cheeses (Save 2 tbsp parmesan cheese for topping), Grove 45 exra virgin olive oil, garlic, a pinch of sea salt, and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper. Set aside.

6. Roll out puff pastry on a greased pan.

7. Gently spread the cheese mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 2″-wide strip uncovered around the outside edge. Arrange the asparagus spears in a row across the center of the dough.

8. Fold the outside edges of the dough toward the center.

9. Whisk together the egg and 1 teaspoon of water. Brush the crust with the egg wash, and sprinkle the remaining parmesan over the galette.

10. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese filling has started to brown. Remove from the oven and gently set on a cooling rack to keep the bottom crispy.

    Serve and enjoy!

This is another of our favorite olive oil tricks - preserving or pickling!

Garlic is one of our favorite spices and by pickling it, you add another level of flavor and nuance.

A super easy recipe, it will give you a decent supply of pickled garlic that will last in the fridge for a couple months! We use rosemary here but feel free to add chilies, thyme, sage or other herbs.

Ingredients

• 5 heads of garlic peeled, whole or chopped

• Pickling liquid (3 parts vinegar, 2 parts water, 1 part granulated sugar, and 0.3 parts salt)

• 6-8 stalks of fresh rosemary

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

• Bring the pickling liquid to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves to the boiling liquid and "cook" for 30-45 seconds. Do this in two batches, if necessary. Remove the garlic cloves from the pickling liquid and let them dry on a few layers of paper towels.

• Loosely pack your jar of choice with the garlic bulbs.

• Nestle 3-4 stalks of rosemary and one bay leaf (per jar) among the cloves.

• Add enough olive oil to the jars to cover the garlic cloves and herbs. Seal the jars and place them in the refrigerator. The garlic is ready to use after 48 hours. Pickles last up to 3 months.

  NOTE: Step one is NOT optional. Incorrectly pickled foods can lead to food poisoning. Please follow all recipes correctly.