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Heart Healthy Cooking: Balsamic Mustard Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Root Vegetable Salad

Friday, February 10th, 2012

This is one of those meals where you’ll get a little giddy the next morning when you remember that you have leftovers to eat for lunch. It’s that yummy. I love root vegetables but don’t often feel like bothering with the peeling, chopping, and roasting that’s required. After I knocked over an entire pile of celery root at Whole Foods the other day, I felt obligated to take some of the battered veggies home for transformation. I added parsnips and beets, and the root vegetables became the star of a delicious warm salad, which I served with a roasted pork tenderloin. It was a simple but elegant meal, easy enough to prepare on a work day but lovely enough for a special occasion (and Valentine’s Day is coming!) The veggies were tossed with olive oil and fresh herbs before roasting and became both crispy and tender and nutty and sweet. You could serve them just like this, but I put them over a bed of spinach dressed with a citrus and honey vinaigrette. The pork was simply roasted and glazed with We Olive’s Sweet Balsamic Mustard. Delicious, beautiful, and heart healthy. Enjoy!

Roasted Root Vegetable Salad
Serves 6
You’ll need:
1 lb celery root, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch chunks
1 lb beets, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch chunks (I used golden and red beets for color)
1 lb parsnip, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used We Olive Arbequina)
3 sprigs each fresh rosemary and thyme, chopped
1/4 cup Blood Orange Olive Oil (You can use standard extra virgin olive oil and add fresh orange zest if you like)
2 tablespoons Pomegranate Champagne Vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 small shallot, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
10 oz fresh spinach
salt and pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees positioning one rack in the upper third of the oven and one rack in the lower third. Toss the chopped parsnips and celery root with olive oil to coat and spread in one layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the veggies with rosemary and thyme and then season with salt and pepper. Repeat this step with the beets on a separate baking sheet.
2. Bake for 15 minutes and then swap the position of the pans – the upper pan to the lower position and the lower pan to the upper position. Bake for 15 more minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, honey, and vinegar, then whisk in the olive oil until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Toss the spinach with the prepared vinaigrette just to coat and arrange on a platter. Top with roasted vegetables and serve.

Sweet Balsamic Roasted Pork
Serves 6
You’ll Need:
2 pork tenderloins
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 jar We Olive Sweet Balsamic Mustard

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Season pork tenderloins with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add one whole tenderloin, searing on each side until browned. Remove tenderloin from pan and transfer to a baking dish. Repeat this step with second tenderloin.
3. Brush the tenderloins with half the jar of Sweet Balsamic Mustard and roast for about 25 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board to rest for about 5 minutes. Brush the tenderloins with remaining mustard to coat. Cut pork into slices and serve alongside salad.

Note: For timing purposes, I sear the pork and rub it with mustard while the vegetables are roasting so I can get the pork into the oven as soon as the veggies come out. I make the vinaigrette while the pork is roasting. When the pork comes out of the oven to rest, I dress the greens and plate the salad. The entire process will take just over an hour.

Tags: Arbequina, blood orange olive oil, pomegranate champagne vinegar, sweet balsamic mustard
Posted in Entree, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish | No Comments »

Holiday Baking with EVOO: Rosemary-Lemon Glazed Bundt Cake

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

I adapted this bundt cake recipe from one by Chef William Prunty. The results are a dense, moist cake with a zingy lemon flavor and an aromatic rosemary glaze. This is a lovely edition to a holiday buffet or an easily transportable hostess gift when paired with a citrus infused olive oil, a pretty bundt pan, and the recipe, which follows.

You’ll need…

For the cake:
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup We Olive Meyer Lemon olive oil
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

To Make:
1. Preheat the oven to 325° and oil and flour a 10-cup bundt pan. In a bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar at medium-high speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the lemon olive oil until creamy, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the cake flour with the baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating on medium speed between additions.
2. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack.

3. For the Glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and rosemary in small saucepan. Bring to boil on medium heat.Reduce heat to low; simmer 1 minute. Spoon glaze over cake. Cool completely before serving.

Note: The olive oil cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Tags: Baking, meyer lemon olive oil
Posted in Baking, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Baking with EVOO: Gingerbread Cake

Monday, December 5th, 2011

I’ve been making this recipe from Martha Stewart for years now as it makes a great snack to have on hand for holiday guests. Alternatively, it’s a nice homemade gift when paired with a recipe card, olive oil and a pretty cake pan or spatula. Happy Holidays!

Gingerbread Cake made with California extra virgin olive oil

You’ll need:

¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons fruity or buttery California extra virgin olive oil, such as We Olive Organic Taggiasca, Sevillano, or Arbequina, plus a little for the pan.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pans
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup unsulfured molasses
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

To Make:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan; set aside. In a bowl, combine boiling water and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, sift together flour, ground spices, salt, and baking powder; set aside.
In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the olive oil and brown sugar until well combined. Beat in molasses and grated ginger, baking-soda mixture, and flour mixture. Beat in eggs.
Pour batter into prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares; dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Tags: Arbequina, arbequina olive oil
Posted in Baking, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY | No Comments »

Fall Salad: Brussels Sprouts You’ll Love

Thursday, October 27th, 2011

I didn’t always love brussels sprouts. I have memories, like most people I think, of steamed, yellow-green balls of blah. But brussels got a bad rap and they are in fact, incredibly delicious and versatile. You can roast them in EVOO to bring out their naturally nutty flavor. You can caramelize them with balsamic vinegar for a terrifically tangy side dish. But my favorite way to prepare them is to treat them like a salad green. You can shred them up raw and dress them like you would a slaw. Or you can quickly blanch the leaves to give them a toothy but tender bite, which is what I’ve done in the following recipe. I served this recently at our La Jolla store for the La Jolla Gallery & Wine Walk charity event and it was a big hit. This salad makes a great accompaniment to any fall meal but is hearty enough for a light dinner. If you want to beef (or pork) it up a bit, crumbled bits of crisp bacon or pancetta would be a divine addition. Try it out on your pickiest eaters and you’re sure to have a few brussels sprout converts.

Citrusy Brussels Sprout Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients:
4 cups brussels sprouts, halved, cored, leaves separated
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
¼ cup white Balsamic vinegar *
¾ cup We Olive Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
½ medium head of radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
1 Red Bartlett pear, cored and sliced into thin wedges
Salt and pepper
4 oz. Manchego cheese, shaved
½ cup pecans, toasted
Zest of one lemon and one orange

1. Blanch brussels sprouts in boiling salted water for 30 seconds; drain and immediately transfer to a large bowl of ice water to cool. Spin in a salad spinner to dry leaves (or pat dry with kitchen towels).
2. In a bowl, combine the lemon and orange juice with the vinegar. Slowly whisk in the Meyer Lemon olive oil until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Combine the brussels sprout leaves with the sliced radicchio and pears in a large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. (Any excess can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Garnish the dressed salad with the shaved Manchego, toasted pecans, and lemon and orange zest. Serve.

Note: *Choose a White Balsamic that has some sweetness to it. We like House of Balsamic’s sweet and tangy Prelibato. If you can’t find it, Chapparal Gardens Winter Ambrosia makes a nice substitute and gives it a hint of fall spice.

Tags: meyer lemon olive oil
Posted in Appetizer, Dressing, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Thanksgiving, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Reader Recipe: Your Go To Grilled Chicken Salad

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

This reader recipe comes to us by way of We Olive Ventura, where reader Leslie Dufresne shops for her CA EVOO. This recipes embodies everything we love about cooking with olive oil: it’s simple to prepare, packed with flavor, and it’s good for you. This is the perfect quick recipe to have in your tool box when you feel like calling the pizza guy…again. Try Leslie’s recipe below and submit your own recipes here. Thanks Leslie!

Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
-One half chicken breast, pan grilled in We Olive Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and sliced
-2 cups arugula
-1/4 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
-Crumbled goat cheese, to taste
-We Olive Meyer Lemon Olive Oil, to taste
-We Olive Aged Balsamic Vinegar to taste

Put a bed of arugula on a plate. Top the lettuce with the sliced
chicken, goat cheese, Kalamata olives, Meyer Lemon olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.
Enjoy!

Tags: balsamic vinegar, meyer lemon olive oil
Posted in Dressing, Entree, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad | No Comments »

Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Balsamic Onion Jam

Thursday, October 6th, 2011

These sliders were served at an event with Slow Food in San Francisco using Llano Seco organic pork. The Balsamic Onion Jam is a versatile condiment that can be used on everything from grilled cheese sandwiches to burgers to pizzas. Enjoy!

To serve 18 sliders, you’ll need:

1 – 1 lb. pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons robust California extra virgin olive oil, such as Roanti Ranch
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
salt and pepper
1 cup Balsamic Onion Jam – recipe follows
18 small rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl combine the garlic, brown sugar, along with a 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous sprinkling of freshly cracker pepper. Place the pork tenderloin in a glass baking dish and coat the tenderloin with the olive oil. Rub the sugar and garlic mixture all over.
3. Bake for 25 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145 degrees. Meanwhile, make the Balsamic Onion Jam.
4. Let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing. Spread a tablespoon of Balsamic Onion Jam on each roll and top with a few slices of roasted pork. Serve!

Tags: balsamic vinegar, pungent, roanti ranch, robust
Posted in Entree, HEART HEALTHY, Organic, Sandwiches | 1 Comment »

Summer Holdouts: Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

Every year at this time, as August slips quickly away, and September sneaks up and startles us into the realization that summer, for all intents and purposes, is over, my husband turns glum. Never mind the fact that we live in San Diego and will have another three months of glorious weather before the thermometer dips below sixty. Never mind that football season is kicking off and we love ourselves some football. Never mind that we get to enjoy the last vestiges of sweet corn and heirloom tomatoes while watching the first butternut squash of the season begin to pop up at the farmers markets. It’s literally everything he enjoys most in life rolled into one perfect month. Yet each year, right around now, we have the pep talk. The one where I remind him of how fantastic September is and then he, encouraged, decides that he will be more optimistic about the arrival of autumn starting right now. (In my head it plays out a little like the Sound of Music scene where Julie Andrews sings “My Favorite Things”, although my husband isn’t wearing clothes made of drapery and I do not have the voice of an angel). But I digress. My reminding him, reminds me that I best make the most of those summer holdouts. The last of the gorgeous tomatoes, the last of the long summer days, and most importantly, the last of that summer state of mind. So even though Labor Day weekend has come to a close and our minds our wandering ahead to Halloween costumes and holidays, I’m going to cling to the last bits of summer and share some of my favorite summer things throughout the week. Enjoy them while you can!

Grilled Bread + Grilled Veggies = Perfection

Following is a recipe I go to whenever we have guests over for a BBQ. It’s fast, delicious, and gorgeous, plus you can experiment with all different varieties of extra virgin olive oil depending on the flavors you want to play up. I essentially put out a spread of crusty grilled bread that’s been brushed with extra virgin olive oil, a few platters of summer veggies that have also been dressed with olive oil and sometimes balsamic vinegar, and if I have it on hand, I’ll whip up a soft goat cheese or ricotta spread. It’s summer food in its simplest form.

Grilled Bread

Serves 6 (appetizer portions)

You’ll need:

1 loaf of rustic bread (although french bread or a baguette will do in a pinch)

1/4 cup California Extra Virgin Olive Oil (choose your favorite style or go with our Fresh Garlic for an extra flavor kick)

1. Light the grill.

2. Cut the entire loaf into 1 inch thick slices (there should be about 12 slices) and brush each side with a bit of EVOO.

3. Grill for a few minutes on each side until toasty with just a bit of char. (Bread is best served within a few hours of grilling).

For the veggies, you’ll need:

1 lb ripe heirloom tomatoes

1/2 lb each zucchini and summer squash

1/2 cup California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1. Thinly slice the zucchini and summer squash into lengthwise ribbons leaving the peel on for color.. If you have a mandolin, this makes the task quicker, but aim for a quarter of inch thickness if using a knife. Season the zucchini and squash with salt and pepper and marinate in 1/4 cup olive oil for 5 – 10 minutes. (I’ve used everything from our fruity Arbequina olive oil to our robust Tuscan Blend, as well as our flavored olive oils, like Meyer Lemon and Fresh Garlic. Sometimes I also add crushed red pepper for heat or fresh herbs for extra flavor).

2. While the squash marinate, slice the tomatoes and arrange on a platter. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. (Again, you can use any olive oil you like, my preference is a grassy olive oil, like our Koroneiki or for flavor, our Fresh Basil).

3. Grill the squash for a few minutes on each side, until the strips are tender and have just a bit of char. Pile them on a platter and set aside.

For the cheese spread, you’ll need:

8 0z. goat cheese

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 T California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I typically use goat cheese in this spread because I like the tangy flavor, but you can substitute feta or gorgonzola as well. Alternatively, you can use ricotta and skip the addition of cream altogether.

1. In a small bowl, work the goat cheese with a fork into crumbles. Add a tablespoon at a time of heavy cream and continue to work with a fork until the cheese becomes soft and spreadable.

2. Using a rubber spatula, transfer the cheese spread to a serving bowl and drizzle with EVOO and then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

To finish:

Once you’ve prepared all these components, you only need to set them out and let your guests build their own bites. The formula can be adapted to use all different veggies (mushrooms, eggplant, and peppers) or even fruits like peaches, plums, and cherries. Share your favorite flavor combos in the comments section and check back later this week for suggestions for all of your summer strawberries!

Tags: basil olive oil, garlic olive oil, meyer lemon olive oil, We Olive Mission Olive Oil
Posted in Appetizer, HEART HEALTHY, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Prize Winning Recipe: Cooking with California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Monday, August 29th, 2011

California Sea Bass with Citrus Jalapeño Herb Vinaigrette
Note from AJ Dale: Using fresh, simple ingredients, including California EVOO, this healthy, flavorful entrée takes under 20 minutes to prepare

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 teaspoons honey
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup We Olive Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
¼ cup We Olive Tuscan Varietal Blend Olive Oil
1 jalapeno, seeded & diced
5 tablespoons fresh herbs, chopped (any combination of dill, flat leaf parsley, thyme, cilantro or basil)
Salt & pepper to taste

4 – 7 ounce pieces of California White Sea Bass
1 tablespoon buttery California EVOO (We used We Olive Mission Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Salt & pepper

Preparation:
Whisk first 7 ingredients in a small bowl. Slowly pour in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify the vinaigrette. Stir in jalapeno and herbs. Salt & pepper to taste. Set aside while preparing fish.

Prepare grill (medium-high heat). Brush fish with olive oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until just opaque in center, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Top with Chili Citrus Herb Vinaigrette and serve.

Tags: meyer lemon olive oil, tuscan olive oil, We Olive Mission Olive Oil
Posted in Entree, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Seafood | No Comments »

Food Memories and Figs

Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

I was 7 years old the first time I ever tasted a fig, outside of a Newton, that is. My grandfather was a beekeeper in the Central Valley and he and my grandmother’s modest home sat in the middle of row after dusty row of almond, apricot, and fig trees. My cousins and I would walk through the orchards after swimming in one of the nearby canals and pick fruit off the trees to snack on. My sister and I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and canal swimming and fruit snatching weren’t something that were second nature to us. We did our best to emulate our cousins that were at home running barefoot through the trees and taking honeycomb from the hive, but we probably seemed like silly little girl versions of city slickers to them. One particular summer day, after we’d exhausted all of our usual options for mischief, we got into a fruit fight in the orchard. Dashing from tree to tree, we hurled apricots at each other, squealing and dodging the fruit as it landed with dusty thuds at our feet. I distinctly remember drawing my arm back to let another fruit bomb fly when I noticed that the thing I was holding was an odd brownish-green color and shaped like a teardrop. I stopped to stare at the foreign fruit in my hand and promptly got nailed in the belly with a rotting apricot. Undeterred, I held it up and asked “What is this thing?” to my much wiser cousins, who were too busy laughing at the fruit salad all over my shirt to answer me. Eventually I got told it was fig and called a “dingus” for not knowing what a fig was, but I slipped it into my pocket so I could taste it later without any mocking from my cousins, who were still throwing fruit at me. Later that night, I snuck into the bathroom and bit into the fig and was more puzzled than anything. It wasn’t very sweet and it felt a tad slimy and tasted almost like I was eating a leaf or a flower petal. I took one more bite and was rewarded with a pink center full of crunchy seeds. I didn’t really enjoy it, but I didn’t hate it either. I was just more mystified by this alien fruit than anything. How could this thing be what ends up in a Fig Newton? Why would people eat these things? Why had I never seen one before? And then I got bored, chucked it in the trash and went off to find my cousins playing in an old broken down school bus.

While that fig certainly didn’t change my life, I think of that day every time I see figs at the market. There’s something about the wonder of discovering food that makes those memories more indelible than others. So the other day, when my husband came home with a box of figs, given to him by someone at work from their own tree, I fondly remembered the fruit fight in my grandparents orchard and my first fig encounter. After tasting one, I decided that they weren’t as sweet as I would have liked and that I would have to help them along somehow. Since my husband already had the grill going, I sliced a handful in half and threaded them onto a few wood skewers. After a quick look at my “We Olive pantry” (as the shelf that houses my bounty of oil and vinegar is known), I chose the Blood Orange Olive Oil to brush on the cut sides of the fig. I put the fig skewers on the grill cut side down for about 2 minutes until they were caramelized and soft and then flipped them over and let them cook for another 2 minutes. I sliced each half into quarters and popped one in my mouth. The fig was soft and sweet, with a bright orange flavor and a hint of burnt sugar. That night they ended up on some vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of Aged Balsamic. The next day I tossed them with arugula, gorgonzola, and a blood orange vinaigrette. This weekend I am going to serve them just off the grill as a side to pork tenderloin. And each time I make them, I’ll be thinking about running barefoot in the dirt, swimming in canals, and being tormented by my cousins.

Do you have a favorite food memory? Share them with me in the comments section and I’ll re-post your stories!

Tags: balsamic vinegar, blood orange balsamic, blood orange olive oil
Posted in Appetizer, Dessert, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Vegetarian | No Comments »

Summer’s Best Tomato Salads

Thursday, July 28th, 2011

Tomatoes any other time of year just aren’t as sweet. And I mean that literally. They’re also usually orange-y and mealy and just a sad reminder that we’ve forgotten that there are actual seasons for food. So I take an immense amount of pleasure from a red, ripe, bursting-with-juice tomato that needs nothing more than a bit of sea salt and some fresh olive oil to make it sing. In honor of the start of tomato season, I’m sharing my favorite salads using summer’s favorite fruit.

Caprese Salad

My husband and I eat this a couple of times each week in the summer months. It’s that easy and that delicious. I don’t know of another recipe that better exemplifies the idea that quality ingredients need little manipulation to produce spectacular results. Find the best and most beautiful tomatoes you can (heirlooms are always nice for variety in color) and cut thick slices. Get the best fresh mozzarella available to you. If you can find someone who makes it locally, you’ll be rewarded with a cheese that is more delicate, creamy and flavorful than what you find at your grocery store. Buffalo mozzarella is a great alternative to locally produced cheese because of it’s texture and distinctive tangy flavor. Cut thick slices of mozzarella, roughly the same size of the tomatoes. Cut both tomatoes and mozzarella just before serving so they don’t lose all of their juices from sitting on the plate too long. Arrange the tomato slices on a platter and season with sea salt. Top each slice with a piece of mozzarella and a basil leaf. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the tomatoes and cheese and serve immediately. I like a robust oil with grassy, peppery notes on my Caprese, so I use our Tuscan Blend, but our Fresh Basil olive oil is stunning in this dish as well.

Panzanella Salad

Whenever I make panzanella, which is made with toasted pieces of leftover bread, I imagine a little old lady in the Italian countryside surveying the day old loaf in her pantry and then shuffling out to her garden to pluck a few tomatoes and a handful of basil leaves. Within minutes, she’s transformed the humble ingredients into something magical. Clearly, I have a tendency to romanticize, but I always send a silent thank you to whoever’s nonna was resourceful enough to come up with this one. To make panzanella, you’ll need a few perfectly ripe tomatoes, a clove of garlic, 6 – 8 thick slices of crusty bread (preferably a few days old), a handful of fresh herbs (I usually use basil, but oregano, thyme, or parsley work in any combination), a pungent extra virgin olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Cut the tomatoes into wedges and remove any seeds with your fingers. Rub the cut slices of bread with the clove of garlic and stick it under the broiler just long enough to get it golden and crisp. When it’s cool enough to handle, tear the bread into bite-size chunks and toss it in a bowl with tomatoes. Chop the herbs and add to the bowl along with a hearty drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Greek Tomato Salad

I made a version of this salad (which I’ve adapted from a recipe by Chef Gavin Kaysen) for my friend Linda Lou, who is Greek and notorious for stealing olives out of unsuspecting martinis. She loved it, so I consider it to have the official Greek stamp of approval. To make it, you’ll need a half cup of heavy cream, about 2 cups of feta cheese, a few pounds of assorted heirloom tomatoes (cut in quarters or wedges), roughly 2/3 cup of pitted kalamata olives, a quarter of a red onion, sliced as thinly as possible, fresh chopped oregano, sea salt, pepper, and of course, extra virgin olive oil. Put the feta in a bowl and add a little bit of cream at a time, whisking with a fork, until the cheese becomes creamy and smooth. Spread one quarter of the cheese onto the center of plate. Top with one quarter of the tomatoes, onions and olives and season a bit with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil (my preference is our California Koroneiki) and garnish with the chopped oregano. Repeat on four more plates and serve.

Share your favorite summer tomato salad recipe with me – it may appear in our next Reader Recipes post!

Tags: balsamic vinegar, basil olive oil, tuscan olive oil
Posted in Appetizer, HEART HEALTHY, Recipes, Salad | 2 Comments »

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