Fine Olive oils should only be used for dipping finishing touches to dishes, and only when they are cool because the flavor of the oil changes when heated.  This is especially true with refined García de la Cruz, the early harvest Olive Oil in its exquisite bottle.  Even its regal citrus green color reflects the fullness of the fruit at the time of its harvest, giving a hint of the elaborate aromas and flavor to follow.

And we also loved using a little bit of it to give an added oomph to these homespun classics we make regularly.  Just open the bottle and add a layer of the oil to make the flavors come alive and vibrant.

Roasted Tomato  (www.wimpy vegetarian.com,  via shockinglydelish

All you need to make these roasted tomatoes in a bottle are tomatoes, salt, pepper, olive oil,  salt, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and garlic. This is more to a cook’s taste than exact amounts. Because the tomatoes are being roasted, it is better to use firm, older one.

Simply slice tomatoes and drizzle them evenly with the rest of the ingredients.  Roast at 350 degrees until they look crisp around the edges.  Cool and bottle.

Homemade Mayonaise

1 large egg at room temperature

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to taste

1 cup grapeseed oil

generous drizzle of García de la Cruz extra virgin olive oil

 lemon juice, optional

Place the raw egg in a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds. Add the mustard, vinegar, and salt, and process another 20 seconds.

Scrape down the bowl sides in the food processor.  Slowly add ¼ of the oil in drops to emulsify. Once emulsification begins, gently stream in the rest of the oil.  Scrape and process an extra 10 seconds.  Taste and adjust with seasonings and lemon juice for taste. 

Pesto

Cup of fresh basil leaves

3 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons pine nuts

kosher salt and ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup olive or grapeseed oil

Combine basic, garlic, pine nuts and Parmasan in the food processor bowl. Season with a slow stream of oil until emulsified.  Season to taste.

García de la Cruz Tart

For the García de la cruz tart filling

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 leafy sprigs sage (about 10 medium leaves)
• 8 ounces basque cheese
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon parsley leaves, chopped
• black pepper to season
• 5 small potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon hazelnuts, chopped

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until softened and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strip the leaves from one of the sage sprigs, chop the leaves, and stir into the onions. Set aside.

Combine the basque cheese cheese, ricotta cheese, garlic, and parsley in a medium bowl. Season with black pepper.

Slice the potatoes thinly. Place another tablespoon of olive oil and salt into a bowl and stir in the potato slices, making sure they are all coated with oil.

Roll out the chilled dough to 1/4-inch thick and trim any uneven edges until you get a circle about 14 inches across.  Place the dough circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread the cooled onions evenly over the dough, leaving a 3-inch outer border. Spoon the cheese mix over the onions and fold up the edges of the dough, tucking and pleating as you go a bit rustic.

Arrange the oiled potato slices  close to each over the visible cheese mix, overlapping slightly (the crostata will expand), and brush some of the previously reserved egg white, thinned with a splash of cold water, evenly over the crust.

Bake the crostata 40–45 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly on the baking sheet before serving. Chop the leaves from the second sprig of sage and sprinkle over the finished crostata. This is quite rich, so I like to serve it with just a simple green salad.

Rustic Wild Mushroom, Chestnut and Black Garlic Tart

110 g plain flour

50 g unsalted butter, chilled 

50 g 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled 

a pinch of salt

10 small pearl onions

1 large wild black garlic clove

4 cups mixed wild mushrooms

2 ½ Melissa’s steamed and peeled chestnuts

3 tablespoons orange preserves with peel, sweetened with grape juice

2 sprigs fresh time

Finely slice the onions, garlic and mushrooms.  Smash the chestnuts into a soft mixture close to a puree. 

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over a high heat.  Add onions, stirring constantly until caramelized.  Add the garlic, mushrooms, thyme and chestnuts, cooking until mushrooms are golden brown. Season to taste and cool

Blind bake at 250 degrees and cool for five minutes.

Add the mushroom mix to the pastry case and bake 20 minutes 350F 

To serve, drizzle with García de la cruz extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with thyme.

Comida Feliz!

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