St. Helena Olive Oil Recipes

Hot and Spicy Roasted Dungeness Crab

February 18, 2010 by Wayne Garcia

The start of Northern California’s Dungeness crab season, which runs through June, heralds the arrival of one of our finest local foods. With their sweet, flaky meat, these local crustaceans are pretty awesome all on their own, simply boiled, and sucked right of their shells. But like so many foods, crabmeat is also a marvelous canvas on which to experiment with all sorts of fun flavor combinations, while still retaining the unmatched essence of the crab itself.

During the peak of the season, crabs are seemingly ubiquitous. And, indeed, the pre-boiled offerings found in supermarket display cases taste really good and, since fishmongers will also crack and clean them at no extra charge, are about as close as it gets to the ultimate fast food.

But with just a little extra (and fun) effort, you can raise the bar on your crab experience by purchasing ultra-live and feisty creatures directly from fisherman. Crabs purchased fresh off the boat will not only be as close as you can get to plucking them from the sea yourself, they will be as sweet, firm, and fresh flavored as you’ll ever eat. (They’re also something of a bargain compared to store-bought specimens, normally selling for about one-half to two-thirds the price per pound.)

For those living on the San Francisco Peninsula, Half Moon Bay is an excellent source, while in the North Bay residents flock to the boats at Bay Bodega Bay. (For more info, check out my article in Edible San Francisco magazine as well as another recipe of mine for a “Locavore’s Cioppino.”

Hot and Spicy Roasted Dungeness Crab, w/ St. Helena Olive Oil Habanero Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This recipe is based on a favorite we’ve been making for many years, but presented with a new twist. Rather than using the dried chili flakes we normally do, our heat will come SH Olive Oil’s Habanero Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Infused with Habanero chilis, the oil brings an extra-fiery kick to the dish. Note, however, that some may find it a bit hotter than they’re used to. In that case, we recommend cutting the Habanero oil with SH Olive Oil Manzanillo Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

1 Fat and happy Dungeness crab (about 2 pounds)
1 – 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Zest of 1 lemon, roughly chopped
Organic Grey Sea Salt, a pinch or two to suit your taste
(and a tablespoon for the crab boiling water)
2 tablespoons HABANERO EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL (see note above)
Rustic bread (for sopping up the juices)

If you purchased an already cooked and cleaned crab, skip the next two steps.

If you purchased your crab off the boat, upon returning home immediately bring a large pot of water to boil (even if you’re not roasting it until later the same day, it’s best to cook the crabs while their kicking as much as possible). Add the salt, and, using tongs, carefully grab your crab from the backside and plunge it deep into the boiling water. Cook for about 7 minutes per pound (or 15 minutes for a two-pounder). I prefer to err on the side of slightly undercooked, and you’ll also be roasting the meat.

Let the crab cool down. Turning it over, pull off the claws and legs, and pry the underbody away from the top shell. Remove the lungs and other bits from the main body, rinse under cold water, and either slice or carefully break the body in half. Going one or two at a time, wrap the legs and claws in a kitchen towel, and smack with a kitchen mallet—hard enough to crack, but not so hard as to pulverize. Place all the crab parts in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 450°

Place the remaining ingredients in a small blender, and whirl for 10 – 15 seconds until well chopped and combined. Taste for salt and heat, and adjust to your taste.

Pour the marinade over the crab, and toss it all together using your hands. Make sure all the crab pieces are nicely coated with the marinade.

Arrange the crab on a sheet tray, and roast for approximately 10 – 12 minutes, until the crab is a nice golden brown.

When cool enough to handle, eat with your hands, and sop up the juices with chunks of nice hearty bread. Oh, and have a few paper towels on hand, this dish is delightfully messy!

— serves two

Tags: crab recipes, olive oil recipes, Recipes
Categories: Seafood • No Comments »

The Well-Stocked Larder, Part III — Roasted Artichokes

December 6, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

Okay, I’ll admit it. As much as I advocate shopping locally and seasonally there are times when I crave ingredients that are simply not in season. That said, I’m not going to purchase hothouse tomatoes or Peruvian asparagus in the dead of winter (or anytime of the year, for that matter). And though I’ve canned my own tomatoes for nearly a decade, I don’t have time—much as I’d like to—to preserve much more than that, as my books on the subject continue to grow.

Here’s where my advocacy for a well-stocked larder kicks in again (as it did previously with St. Helena Olive Oil Co.’s Butternut Squash and Organic Spicy Heirloom pasta sauces). As our grandparents knew, having a good supply of preserved foods on hand makes life a lot more interesting, as well easier, while we await spring’s bounty.

Although artichokes are available in California in both spring and early fall, the latter season is shorter as well as typically less predictable when it comes to quality. As part of its commitment to offering the finest ingredients, St. Helena Olive Oil Co. stocks excellent jarred roasted artichoke hearts from Italy’s San Giuliano. These are terrific straight out of the jar as part of an antipasti platter, sliced into a salad, or chopped and incorporated into an omelette. They are also terrific in risotto.

Roasted Artichoke Risotto
Many people are intimidated by risotto, but once you’ve mastered the basics it’s really very simple, highly satisfying, and open to all sorts of ingredient variations. Also, forget those cookbooks that tell you that need to stir and stir and stir. The most important thing is steady cooking and liquid replacement, so the rice has enough to absorb as it creates a creamy, slightly soupy coating.

1 cup Arborio or Carnaroli rice
2 tablespoons NAPA VALLEY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL HARRIS ESTATE
1 small yellow onion, chopped (you want about a quarter cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme leaves
2 cups chicken broth (preferably homemade)
Splash of white wine or vermouth (approximately ¼ cup)
Pinch of GREY SEA SALT
6 – 8 ROASTED ARTICHOKES, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
Parmesan cheese
A handful of fresh mint or parsley leaves, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Using a small pot, heat the chicken broth to a healthy simmer (but not a rolling boil).

Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other large size pot. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and cook until just beginning to soften (2-3 minutes).

Raise the heat a notch and add the rice, stirring to coat with the vegetables and oil.

After 3 – 4 minutes, the rice will start becoming semi-translucent, and you should hear a low-level snap, crackle, and pop.

Add the wine or vermouth, turn the heat to high, and cook until the wine has evaporated.

Return the heat to normal, add a ladleful of hot chicken broth, stir once, and add a pinch of grey sea salt.

Continue to add broth as needed, which means just before the previous ladleful is completely absorbed (usually a few minutes between doses).

Cook for approximately 10 – 12 more minutes. Don’t worry if you run out of broth before the rice has finished cooking, you can always add a bit of water instead.

A few minutes before the rice is ready—you’ll know by the look and texture, which, like pasta, should be al dente, soft but toothsome—fold in the chopped artichokes and give the mixture a healthy stir (ideally this would be right before you add the final ladle of stock).

Once the rice has finished cooking, stir in the butter, remove from the heat, and let the risotto rest for a few minutes, covered.

Spoon into bowls, grate fresh Parmesan over the top (to your liking), sprinkle with the mint or parsley, and grind a little black over the top.

~ serves 4 to 6 as a first course, 2 as a stand-alone dish

Categories: Pasta, Rice and Beans • 1 Comment »

Talking Turkey

November 20, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

With Thanksgiving practically here, and Christmas on the horizon, the season for turkey is about to rev into high gear. And we strongly recommend sourcing a fresh heritage breed over the typical supermarket variety.

The difference is not insignificant.

The latter is almost certainly a frozen specimen that was raised in a confined pen. It’s beak and wings may have been clipped, and it was bred to deliver the pumped-up breasts of a Vegas showgirl, with tinier than normal legs (reflecting the favorite and least favorite cuts of most Americans). It may have been “pre-basted,” and even fitted with a plastic pop-out tab that tells when it’s cooked. I know these turkeys. For as long as I can remember my mother used to roast them, year-in-year-out, sometimes for both holidays. Is it any wonder that I developed a deep hatred for these birds? How can people like something so dry and tasteless, I thought? Something that, save for the dressing and gravy, essentially tastes like nothing? I didn’t get it. Still don’t.

For the past 8 years or so I’ve been purchasing heritage breeds, or what I like to call “real turkeys.” This year, for example, my bird is coming from BN Ranch, a relatively new venture from Bill Nyman (formerly of Nyman Ranch) and his wife Nicolette. Bill and Nicolette personally drove to Kentucky to pick up their poults, which were bred naturally, not via artificial insemination. The next generation is birthed the old-fashioned way, from the eggs produced by the initial flock. The birds are raised at Nymans’ Bolinas, CA ranch, and are housed in spacious pens with indoor and outdoor access that provides ample room for exercise. Moreover, these birds are humanely raised on an all-vegetarian diet, with no beak cutting or wing clipping—they even fly.

The flavor difference is staggering. Turkeys like these are not only far tastier than the mass-produced variety—delivering authentic turkey flavor—but they are also more interesting of texture. The skin crisps properly, the breast meat is meaty and moist, and the drumsticks, ah, the drumsticks! My favorite part of the bird—especially from heritage birds that get to exercise those leg muscles—are rich, dark, slightly gamey, and very satisfying.

To Brine or Not to Brine
I think the case for heritage turkey speaks for itself. Things get somewhat trickier, however, when it comes to the question of whether or not to brine the bird. A good many prominent chefs, Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters among them, are strong advocates of brining. And there’s no doubt that brining meat in a salted water solution for a few days, before air-drying for another day or two, does result in moister meat. For a few years I cooked my birds this way, too, and with good results. But I was never quite convinced by the outcome, which always struck me as nice and moist, but also somewhat watery. For the last few years I’ve instead pre-salted the bird, and cooked them much as I do with the chicken recipe given in a previous post. For my taste, and even my mother’s, this, plus cooking at higher than normal temperatures, results in a more satisfying balance of crispy skin, and moist, evenly cooked meat. (To get a scientific take on the question of brining, and his argument against the practice, check out Harold McGee’s “Curious Cook” column from last year’s New York Times.

Now for the Turkey
For this recipe, rather than just salting the bird we’re going to employ St. Helena Olive Oil Co.’s Organic Poultry Rub, which in addition to sea salt, will further enhance the flavor of your turkey with garlic; herbs, such as rosemary, oregano, sage, and thyme; a dash of cane sugar; and spices, including chili and black pepper, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, and coriander.

1 Heritage turkey (weight will vary, but estimate 1 to 1.5 lbs. weight for each guest)
SHOliveOilCo ORGANIC POULTRY RUB (a healthy handful)
6 sage leaves
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 pats unsalted butter
2 tablespoons BUONA VOLONTÀ NAPA VALLEY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

48 hours before roasting, take a nice fistful of Organic Poultry Rub and do just that—rub it into the skin as well as the cavity of the turkey. Don’t go too crazy, but don’t be too shy either. Place the bird (either uncovered or loosely wrapped in plastic) on a pan in your fridge. (This is definitely a challenge for larger birds, with which you may need to clear off an entire shelf just to fit the thing in there.)

Remove the bird from the fridge about an hour before roasting, and preheat the oven to 450°. Place a kitchen towel over the breastbone, and give it a good whack with a rolling pin. Remove the towel, and press down on the breast to flatten a bit (this helps ensure more even cooking of breast and legs). Gently lift the skin from the breastbone (see technique in the previous chicken recipe), and stuff sage and garlic under the skin. Rub the bird all over with the olive oil. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, and roast for approximately 2.5 hours for a 10-pound bird, adding 15 minutes for each additional pound. Please note that most ovens are not accurately calibrated, so these times are suggestions. Use your senses—especially the nose and eyes—to judge when your bird is finished. Let rest for 15-20 minutes, carve, and serve.

Tags: cooking with olive oil, turkey recipe
Categories: Poultry • No Comments »

Riffing on Organic Spicy Heirloom Pasta Sauce

November 13, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

Fight it as much as we might, this year’s tomato season is kaput. To be sure, supermarkets and even local farmers’ markets still have tomatoes to sell, but even the best examples from mid-November pale in aroma and flavor compared to those from the peak of the season.

If you canned your own it’s time to start using them—and popping open a jar will bring back Proustian blasts of a summer barely past. But even if you are a home-canner, there may be times when turning those preserved Early Girls or San Marzanos into a sauce is simply more than we can deal with after a long day.

I’ve already written about the joys of a well-stocked larder, and St. Helena Olive Oil Company’s Organic Spicy Heirloom Pasta Sauce is another great item to add to your arsenal of options. The addition of garlic, chiles, and spices give it an extra nice kick.

For the ultimate in simplicity and time management, you may simply fold it into cooked pasta, grate some Parmesan over the top, and plop in front of a favorite movie with a nice glass of red wine—a young Barbera, say? Although the following recipes require a bit, but not too much more time, the rewards are well worth it.

Clams, bacon & rapini
This simple one-pot dish offers layers of flavors and textures, and can be made in about the same time it takes to boil a pot of pasta water.

1.5 lbs. Manila clams
4 strips bacon
1 cup packed, rapini, chopped
1/2 cup (or more to suit your taste) ORGANIC SPICY HEIRLOOM PASTA SAUCE
2 tablespoons plus a drizzle of SEVILLANO VARIETAL CALIFORNIA EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/4 cup water or chicken broth
ORGANIC FLEUR DE SEL

Immerse the clams in a bowl of cold water, drain and repeat a few times to rid of any residual sand. Coat the bottom of a pot with the olive oil, cut the bacon into ribbons, and cook over medium heat until just brown. Remove the bacon and let rest on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Place the Spicy Heirloom Pasta Sauce in the pot and stir into the oil, cook for a few minutes over medium heat, then fold in the clams, the rapini, and the water or stock, raise the heat to high, and cover. Cook until all the clams have opened, discarding any that remain tight lipped. Gently toss the mixture together, and spoon into bowls, being sure to get plenty of the spicy broth. Drizzle with a swirl of the oil and a twist of fleur se sel.

— serves 2 as a main course, 4 as a starter

Roasted Winter Squash
This lovely vegetable dish accented with a kick of spicy sauce and Parmesan makes a
perfect accompaniment to pork and poultry.

1 Squash (butternut or another heirloom variety, about 1 to 1.5lbs
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
1/2 cup (or more to suit your taste) ORGANIC SPICY HEIRLOOM PASTA SAUCE
2 tablespoons plus a drizzle of BUONA VOLONTÀ NAPA VALLEY EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
ORGANIC GREY SEA SALT

Preheat oven to 325°
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds. Slice the squash into wedges, leaving on the skin. Place the squash skin-side down on a roasting sheet. Drizzle with the oil and salt and roast until soft enough to pierce with a fork—about 30 to 45 minutes depending on the size of the squash. About ten minutes before the squash has finished roasting, warm the sauce over low-to-medium heat. Remove the sheet from the oven, spoon the sauce over the squash, and dust with Parmesan. Return to oven, and continue roasting for approximately 10 minutes more, until it all melds together. Remove from the oven, plate, and drizzle over a bit more olive oil and Parmesan.

— serves 4 to 6 as a side dish depending on the size of the squash

Categories: Pasta, Seafood, Vegetables • 1 Comment »

Lemon Accented Roast Chicken

November 5, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

After well more than a decade’s worth of experimenting with every which way of roasting chicken, we’ve hit on a most consistently satisfying method. Need we add that the single most critical element for success is the chicken itself?

The horrors of mass-poultry production are well known and need not be repeated here. And yet it should be noted that phrases such as “free-range” and “organic,” are not enough to guarantee healthy, flavorful, and humanely raised birds. In his must-read Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan pulled back the curtain on an even relatively decent large poultry producer, whose birds may technically be “natural” and “organic,” that is properly fed and free of hormones, but not especially “free-range.” According to Pollan, these birds spend most of their time indoors, with so many birds to a pen that they are essentially immobilized. What little time they spend outdoors is in similar confinement, and their slaughter and subsequent processing are what one might expect from a huge operation.

By contrast, true pasture-raised birds, such as those from the Bay Area’s Marin Sun Farms on the Point Reyes Peninsula, or Soul Food Farm in Vacaville, truly are “free-range,” as you can easily see when you drive past them frolicking around the land, eating bugs and other naturally found foodstuffs, as well as supplemental feed. And they taste it too, totally unlike any chickens we’ve had outside of the best in France and Italy—so meaty, succulent, and “chickeny.” Thankfully, this old-fashioned way of raising chickens—and everything else—is hardly restricted to a few Northern California farms, it’s turning into a nationwide movement.

I won’t describe the humane slaughtering process here, but for more on chickens and the above two farms you can check out my article in Edible San Francisco magazine.

Okay, off my soapbox and into the kitchen! While this recipe is for a lemon-accented roast chicken, the same basic method can be adapted into endless variations depending on the seasons and your mood.

Lemon Accented Roast Chicken

1 3 – 4 pound pasture-raised chicken
1 lemon, halved
6 leaves lemon verbena
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
2 sprigs rosemary, 1 whole, 1 chopped
4 pats unsalted butter
1 pound Yukon Gold or other yellow potatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
1 teaspoon Grey Sea Salt
2 tablespoons St. Helena Extra Virgin Lemon Olive Oil
¼ cup white wine

First, because your bird isn’t from the supermarket it’s likely to be swimming in a bit of its own blood. Because this hastens decay it’s a good idea to remove the bird from its bag ASAP, remove the giblets (setting aside for your another use), and using paper towels pat the bird inside and out to remove traces of blood. You may or may not rinse the thing off, but don’t think that rinsing is going to get rid of bacteria. That occurs during the cooking process. If you’re lucky enough to have sourced an intact, head-to-feet complete chicken, leave these on. Experiments with feet- and head-less, feet-only, and chickens as God made them has convinced us that the juiciest, most flavorful birds are the ones that are roasted whole. Yes, they make a hellacious mess in the oven, but it’s well worth whatever more regular cleanup efforts are required.

This is also a good time to pre-salt the bird—an invaluable tip we learned from Judy Rodgers in her superb Zuni Café Cookbook. Using a healthy pinch of grey sea salt, sprinkle in the cavity as well as over the body, being sure to hit the meaty crevices where thighs and wings join the body. Place the bird in a fresh plastic or sealable bag until you’re ready to cook (anywhere from 12 to 48 hours after salting), and refrigerate.

An hour before cooking, remove the chicken from the fridge so that it reaches room temperature, and place in a roasting pan. Being careful not to tear the delicate membrane, and starting near the cavity opening, gently slide you fingers between the skin and the flesh and lift the entire top skin up to the neck. Gather four chunks of a high quality unsalted butter, four fresh lemon verbena leaves (tarragon makes a nice substitute), and the garlic slices. Even place these under the chicken’s skin.

Place the bird, breast side up, on a roasting rack inside the pan. Scatter the potato slices around and underneath the chicken, and sprinkle the potatoes with the chopped rosemary. Squeeze out most of the lemon juice, discarding pips, and drizzle the lemon juice over the top of the chicken. Place the remaining halves in the cavity along with the whole rosemary sprig.

Finally, drizzle St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil all over the top of the bird as well as the potatoes, then sprinkle with some Grey Sea Salt (the chicken was pre-salted so there’s no need for more); grind some black pepper over the entire concoction, and add a splash of white wine to the pan.

To roast: pre-heat your oven to 500°. Roast the bird for approximately 12 minutes until the skin is golden-brown and beginning to crisp. Lower the oven to 425° and continue to roast for an additional 10-minutes per pound of the bird’s weight (i.e., 35 minutes for a three-and-a-half pound bird). I also like to baste with the pan juices every ten to fifteen minutes. The chicken is cooked when the thighs easily pull from the body.

Remove from the oven, and let the chicken rest in the pan for ten minutes before carving. This helps retain the juices and results in more complex flavors.

— serves four

Tags: chicken, extra virgin lemon olive oil, Recipes
Categories: Poultry • No Comments »

Three Ideas for Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

October 29, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

A larder rich with choices not only makes for more creative cooking, it also comforts us with the knowledge that, should we not have the time to shop, or are rushed to prepare dinner, a deliciously satisfying meal can still be created on the spot.

In this spirit, St. Helena Olive Oil Co. has created a series of flavorful sauces and condiments such as the butternut squash pasta sauce used in the following recipes. While this slightly chunky purée delivers the creamy sweetness we love in butternut squash, its all-organic ingredients list of roasted red bell peppers, onion, and garlic lends it a tangy counterbalance that makes for a wonderfully versatile flavor vehicle.

Butternut Squash Rigatoni
Here’s the ultimate in simplicity for those rushed evenings we all face now and then. While the entire dish takes only 20 minutes or so to make, the result is very satisfying —quick and nourishing comfort food for a chilly autumn or winter’s night. Note that we like to finish this off with Sevillano Varietal California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which has a bright grassiness that really enhances the flavors of the pasta sauce.

1 lb. rigatoni
1/2 cup (or more to suit your taste) Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
1 tablespoon Sevillano Varietal California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon Organic Grey Sea Salt
Parmesan Reggiano
Organic Fleur de Sel
Chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, chives, or parsley

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. Toss in the sea salt, followed by the rigatoni. (Helpful hint: if you’re having trouble keeping the water at a healthy boil, place the lid on the pot to either fully or partially cover.) Stir occasionally. When the pasta is cooked through but still toothsome, drain while retaining roughly a cup or so of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot, and stir in the butternut squash sauce. You may now also add back in a ladleful or two of the hot pasta water, depending on your preference for the thickness of the sauce. Fold the sauce into the pasta, and scoop into bowls. To finish, grate fresh Parmesan over the pasta, drizzle with a generous gurgle of olive oil, a dusting of the chopped herbs, and a zing of organic fleur de sel.

Serves 2 – 4 as a main course, and 6 as a starter course

White Beans and Sausage
Here’s a terrific way to incorporate the sauce into another starch vehicle, while enhancing the flavor with sausages (optional, of course, for vegetarians).

1 cup Cannellini or other creamy white beans
1 small yellow or red onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery stock, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Buona Volontà Napa Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 high quality sausages (may we suggest Italian or Toulouse style from Oxbow Market’s The Fatted Calf)
½ cup Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Organic Grey Sea Salt

Rinse the beans, place in a bowl, and soak, just covered with water for 6 hours. Heat the oil over medium heat, add the vegetables, and cook for approximately 3 – 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the beans, stir, and cover the mixture in one-inch of water. Turn the heat to high, and bring the water to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to low, and simmer the beans for one to two hours, until soft but not mushy. Add a pinch of salt and stir.

In the meanwhile, bring the sausages to room temperature. About twenty minutes before the beans are finished cooking, lightly prick and then broil the sausages for approximately five minutes on each side. Let rest for five minutes, and slice into 1-inch chunks.

Fold the butternut squash sauce into the beans, spoon the beans into bowls, and dot with the sausage meat. Serve with a salad of peppery dandelion greens or arugula.

Serves 4

Poached Eggs
This delightful dish can be served anytime of day, and makes a surprisingly intimate dinner for two.

4 farm fresh eggs
Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
Sevillano Varietal California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Organic fleur de sel
~ Options ~
Bacon
Sausage
Greens

Poach eggs until cooked to your liking. Carefully place in a bowl. Spoon a few healthy dollops of butternut squash sauce over the eggs, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle over a pinch of fleur de sel. Embellish as you will with bacon, sausage, crostini, and/or greens.

Serves 2

Categories: Pasta • No Comments »

Wild Salmon with Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil

October 22, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

Our Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil marries two of California’s most heavenly crops, Mission olives and Navel oranges, which are added to the press to create this bright, citrusy, and flavorful extra virgin oil. It’s great simply drizzled over fish, poultry, pasta, and other items, but gains complexity when used in conjunction with vinegar.

These two recipes offer both methods; and we hope that one of them may introduce you to a seemingly unlikely and delightful new combination of flavors.

Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon
You may of course use any salmon you prefer for this dish, but we prefer sustainable wild varieties such as the Alaskan Coho, King, and Sockeye. (For more details on sustainable seafood see the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch page

Because the salmon has a naturally sweet flavor, we like to bring our 6-year old Balsamic vinegar di Modena into play to add complexity and acidity to the Orange extra virgin olive oil, with further accents provided by thinly-sliced red onion and capers.

1 lb. (4) salmon fillets
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon capers, drained of vinegar
3 tablespoons Orange extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon 6-year old Balsamic vinegar di Modena
Fleur de sel
Freshly ground black pepper

Make a simple vinaigrette by whisking together the orange olive oil and balsamic vinegar. (Rather than season the vinaigrette, we season the finished fish.)
Grill or broil salmon approximately 4-5 minutes on each side depending on your preference for doneness. Remove skin, and plate fish. Place several slices of onion and a sprinkle of capers over the salmon (cilantro, basil or parsley sprigs add a nice variation and are attractive, too), and finish with a swirl of vinaigrette, a dash of fleur de sel, and a few twists of ground black pepper.
A simple salad of arugula or cherry tomatoes makes a lovely accompaniment.

— makes 4 servings

Chocolate Ice Cream with Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Fleur de Sel
What could be simpler? Put a nice big scoop of your favorite chocolate ice cream into a bowl, pour a swirl of our Orange extra virgin olive oil over the top, and finish with a pinch of fleur de sel.
Here, the sweet-citrus flavors of the oil complement the richness of the ice cream, the oil blends with the fat content of the ice cream, and the fleur de sel adds a hint of saltiness as well as a nice, crunchy texture.

Categories: Uncategorized • 1 Comment »

A Focus on Rare Balsamic Vinegar

October 6, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

Balsamic vinegar is one of those products that, while exotic, appealing, and sometimes very pricey, many of us aren’t quite sure exactly what to do with.

Here are two lovely Mediterranean-style recipes we’ve selected to showcase our rare 19-year-old balsamic vinegar, which we’ve sourced from a tiny artisan producer in Modena, Italy for the past 15 years. The first is an escabeche of white fish, the second a simple dessert of figs, almonds, and ricotta. Exquisite vinegars like this one should be savored in drops, not spoonfuls. In each of these recipes only a slight drizzle is called for to finish.

For more information on all things balsamic, go to let’s chat.

All recipes make 4 servings
Escabeche of White Fish
A delightful warm weather dish, escabeche is simply a poached or fried fish that is then marinated before serving — in Spain, chicken, rabbit, and pork are also prepared in this fashion.

Our version, which emphasizes sweet and sour flavors, actually uses three of our vinegars: 19-year-old balsamic to finish, and Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon red wine vinegar and 6-year-old balsamic for the marinade. For maximum flavor, we suggest allowing the fish to marinate for one day before serving.

4 fillets of white fish (use a firm-fleshed fish such as snapper)
½ cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup St. Helena Buona Volontà Napa Valley extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 garlic gloves, thinly sliced
½ cup dried currants
1 small sprig fresh rosemary, chopped
2/3 cup St. Helena Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon red wine vinegar
1/3 cup St. Helena 6-year-old balsamic vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Fleur de sel
A drizzle of St. Helena 19-year-old balsamic vinegar

Dredge the fillets in the flour, shaking off any excess, and set aside. Place ¼ cup of the olive oil in a large skillet, and heat over medium-high heat to approximately 350°. Fry the fish in batches, approximately five to six minutes per side. Transfer to a plate covered with paper towels to drain excess oil, and sprinkle on both sides with fleur de sel.
Wipe clean the skillet, discarding any leftover oil, heat the remaining oil over medium-low heat, and sauté the onion and red pepper flakes for approximately ten minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the rosemary, garlic, and currants, and cook for a few minutes more. Now add the vinegars, bring to a boil, and return the fish to the skillet. Cook for one scant minute and turn over for another. Remove skillet from the heat, grind over a twist of black pepper, taste the marinade, and adjust seasoning to taste.

Transfer the mixture to a baking dish and allow to cool. Cover and place in the refrigerator for one day. Bring back to room temperature, and sprinkle with a few drops of 19-yeard-old balsamic before serving.

Figs with ricotta, almonds, and balsamic
8 ripe Mission figs
½ cup sheep’s milk ricotta
16 roasted, unsalted almonds
A drizzle of St. Helena 19-year-old balsamic vinegar

This is one of those gloriously simple desserts that rely completely on the quality of the ingredients to reach its fullest potential. Choose ripe, heavy figs whose skin is splitting and on the verge of bursting with sugar, a high quality sheep’s milk ricotta, which is generally lighter as well as more complex than cow’s milk, and freshly roasted unsalted almonds.

Slice the figs in half, lengthwise. Place them in a bowl with a few spoonfuls of the ricotta, add the almonds (chopped or whole, depending on your aesthetic preference), and finish with a drizzle of our 19-year-old balsamic vinegar. Heaven awaits!

Categories: Seafood • 1 Comment »

A Meal Inspired by Napa Valley Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

October 1, 2009 by Wayne Garcia

Hailing from one of Napa’s oldest appellations, our Harris Estate organic extra virgin olive oil is sourced from a small family farm in the Mayacamas hills overlooking the northern Napa Valley.

A mixture of three Italian varietals—Frantoio, Leccino and Coratina—this is a bold oil, offering aromas of black pepper and wind swept grasses, with hints of lemon and fennel. Its rich mouthfeel is pungent and peppery, and, in the classic Tuscan tradition, our Harris Estate bottling makes for a beautiful finishing oil.

Since we’re releasing this oil during the end of summer, we’ll offer two seasonal recipes this oil complements beautifully, drawing out and balancing flavors. One is a classic caprese salad; the other is a simple dish of grilled sardines that we like to serve with a salad of butter lettuce and avocado.

All recipes make 4 servings
Caprese Salad
While this classic epitomizes the Italian spirit of keeping things simple by focusing on the ingredients, it is the quality of the ingredients that spells the difference between something good…and something truly sublime—a veritable explosion of summer flavors.

Whether you use cow’s milk or buffalo’s, the mozzarella should be ultra-fresh; use the ripest, most fragrant tomatoes you can find—those that smell like sunshine captured in a fruit—a mixture of early girls, heirlooms, and red and yellow cherries is especially pretty, and perky, aromatic basil, preferably the Genovese type.
Notice how our Harris Estate bottling brings out the earthy complexity of the mozzarella, the brightness of the basil, and the incomparable sweet-acidity of the tomatoes, while tying together all of the flavors.

Note: While this salad normally calls for ground black pepper, we’ve omitted it here to allow the peppery nature of the oil to shine through.

1 lb. fresh cow or buffalo mozzarella (sliced ¼-inch thick)
1 lb. mixed peak of summer tomatoes (sliced ¼-inch thick, cherries left whole or sliced in half)
1 sprig basil
Harris Estate organic extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel

Arrange the mozzarella and tomato slices on a plate, in an overlapping pattern: tomato, mozzarella, etc. Using kitchen scissors, cut several basil leaves in irregular sections right over the salad. Drizzle down the center with a healthy glug of the olive oil—but don’t overdo it! Finish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.

Grilled Sardines
8 fresh sardines
1 lemon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 small sprig cilantro
1 shallot
Grey sea salt

Gut and clean the sardines, rub off any stray scales, rinse under cold water, pat dry, and place in a shallow bowl. Zest the lemon, set the zest aside, cut the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Drizzle the lemon juice over the sardines, sprinkle them with the paprika, and slather all together.

Chop the cilantro and place in small bowl. Mince the shallot and zest and toss with the cilantro.

Grill the sardines over hardwood, mesquite, or a gas grill, or place under the broiler, approximately three to four minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Plate the sardines, top with the cilantro gremolata, give the whole thing a healthy drizzle of Harris Ranch oil, and crumble on grey sea salt to finish.

Butter Lettuce and Avocado Salad
1 head of nice leafy butter lettuce
1 avocado
1 shallot
¼ cup champagne vinegar
¼ cup Harris Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Murray River salt flakes

Pour the vinegar in a salad bowl, add the shallots, a pinch of Murray River salt, and whisk in the olive oil (the above measurements are approximations, always taste and adjust to suit your personal taste).

Peel and slice the avocado into wedges. Clean and dry the lettuce, tear the leaves into strips, place in the bowl, and toss with the vinaigrette. Plate next to the sardines, and top the salad with the avocado wedges. An extra drizzle of olive oil is optional.

Note: While it may seem unusual to use shallots with both the sardines and salad, they have a lovely and subtle way of unifying the flavor elements of each dish, as does the dual use of the Harris Ranch olive oil.

Categories: Soups and Salads • 2 Comments »

Welcome Wayne Garcia….and his recipes

September 24, 2009 by admin

As many of you know, I was spoiled by my very favorite grocer, Elizabetta. Every day in Italy, I would walk to her store for the finest ingredients….and the recipe of the day. She would tell me exactly what to do…and when her other customers would overhear….they would chime in as well. Everyone had a spin….and no one had measurements. Elizabetta gave me the courage to use my own judgment in the kitchen. Aside from the infamous “cannelloni night” when we ended up eating cereal, I did pretty well. At the end of the six months, I came home with a new sense of self in the kitchen.

It took about 30 days at home to remember that old habits die hard…yes, the lack of creativity in the kitchen was back! First I had to think of my own meals for the day….and then I had to find the best ingredients..and there was no fresh pasta maker in town….and well…it was all going to you know where very quickly. I laid in bed one night, forcing myself to stop the “used to bes”…and making myself think about “what to dos”….and then it struck me. I will find another Elizabetta….even if I have to hire one….and so I did.

Please welcome Wayne Garcia….he has graciously accepted the position of “Elizabetta”.

In addition to his work as a freelance writer and illustrator, Wayne Garcia oversees the tiny but carefully chosen wine list at Piccino Café in San Francisco’s Dogpatch neighborhood, where his wife Sher is a partner. Garcia’s food and wine writing can be seen regularly in Edible San Francisco magazine, and his writing about music and high-end audio gear can be found in The Absolute Sound magazine. Wayne is also the editor of marshallphoto.com, which showcases the work of San Francisco’s legendary music photographer Jim Marshall. When not in front of his computer, he spends many hours tending the wood-fired oven and grills in the couple’s Potrero Hill backyard.

After thorough analysis and research, I chose Wayne because….

I used to live in and love Potrero Hill

I love being connected to creative souls like he and his wife.

I was impressed by his articles in Edible San Francisco.

He struck me as a good, honest human being…with great hair.

AND…we had an amazing meal at Piccino.…one that we all agreed transported us back to our hood in Florence. Yes, it was his wife’s cooking but after tasting her food I knew she would never be married to someone who didn’t understand real food.

Based on the above and a leap of faith, we filled Wayne’s pantry with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. products and have given him the green light to create. He will post a recipe every week using St. Helena Olive Oil Co products and the freshest local ingredients. Through his recipes, he will keep us in the know about the season we are in…and maybe even up to date on the latest happenings at the Ferry Bldg Farmers Market.

I am so excited to bring a little life back into my kitchen!

Buon Appetito!

Oh…..I encourage you to check out Piccino …it is a hip neighborhood cafe in San Francisco with fun happenings noted on their site…..

Tags: piccino, Recipes
Categories: Wayne Garcia • 1 Comment »

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A Meal Inspired by Napa Valley Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Welcome Wayne Garcia….and his recipes

It’s All About the Ingredients

Let’s Get Connected…….

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