Recipe: Oil Cured Artichokes Recipe
Serves 6 as a Antipasti
Ingredients:
- juice of 1 lemon
- 15 baby artichokes (about 2 pounds)
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cups white wine
- 3 cups water
- 1 lemon cut in half
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves garlic sliced thinly
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces thinly sliced guanciale, (can substitute pancetta)
- 1 preserved meyer lemon
- 1 cup arugula
- Squeeze the juice of a lemon into a bowl. Cut off the top ½ inch of the artichokes and snap off the tough outer green leaves. Cut the artichokes in half, toss in lemon juice and set aside.
- Place all the artichokes in a non reactive pan just big enough to hold them and cover with ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, wine, water, 1 lemon cut in half, bay leaf, garlic and salt.
- Heat to a simmer and cook until artichokes are tender but not falling apart. Remove from liquid and cover with 2 cups of extra virgin olive oil and place in refrigerator overnight. Heat a sauté pan and cook the guanciale until crispy.
- Place on paper towel to remove extra fat. Remove the outer skin from the preserved lemon, scrape as much of the white away and slice into long thin strips. Allow the artichokes to come to room temperature and remove from the oil.
- Toss the arugula with a little of the oil left over from artichokes, half the lemon zest and season to taste. Place the arugula on a plate, arrange artichokes on top and drizzle with a little oil, garnish with crispy guanciale.
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 5 ounces pine nuts
- 1½ ounces sugar
- 1½ cups flour
- 2½ ounces butter, room temp
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
- 1 ounce milk chocolate (chopped)
- ½ cup milk
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 ounce sugar
- 1 cup milk
- ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cream
- ½ cup mascarpone
- 1 cup cocoa nibs
- 2 cups simple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Crust
- Pulse the pine nuts in food processor a few times.
- Add the sugar, flour and continue to pulse until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a mixer.
- Add the softened butter, egg, vanilla and mix just to incorporate. Refrigerate overnight.
Press the dough into a ring mold on a lightly greased sheet. Mark with fork tines and bake at 350 until light brown.
- Combine chocolates in a double boiler and melt together. Heat the milk to a simmer.
- Whisk together the yolks and the sugar until light and pale.
- Slowly whisk in the heated milk into egg mixture and strain. Stir the egg mixture in to the melted chocolate.
- Heat the cream to a simmer and slowly whisk into egg mixture.
- Add the remaining cream. Pour the filling into a double boiler and cook stirring constantly until thickened. Remove and cool to room temperature, add the mascarpone and whisk until smooth. Strain and chill.
- Place the cocoa nibs in a pot and cover with simple syrup.
- Cook on a low simmer until nibs have softened and syrup has browned.
Strain the nibs from the syrup and place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until nibs are crispy. Save syrup to drizzle over dessert.
- Place a crust down, fill with chocolate filling.
- Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, chocolate syrup and sprinkle with candied cocoa nibs and maldon sea salt.
Olive Oil Grades
Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade of olive oil. It undergoes the least amount of processing and is usually more expensive than other grades. Extra virgin olive oil must conform to four basic criteria: It must be from the mechanical extraction of olives, be cold pressed, exhibit an acidity level of less than 1%, and it must have a perfect taste.
Though extra virgin has the best flavor, once it is heated, it starts to break down, causing it to lose the flavor you've paid top dollar for. Therefore, extra virgin is best for salad dressings, marinades, drizzling over foods, or as a dip.
Virgin olive oil may contain some flaws in taste or acidity that keep it from extra virgin status. Some producers use heat or chemicals in addition to pressing machines during the refining process. This grade is usually much more economical than extra virgin and is sufficient for sautéing, grilling or frying.
Pure or 100% olive oil is a blend of low-quality virgin olive oils refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. "Pure" refers to the fact that no other kinds of oil have been mixed with the olive oil. The most widely marketed grade of olive oil, it is a combination of extra-virgin oils and refined virgin oils and must have an acidity level of less than 1.5%. Like virgin olive oil, pure olive oil is a good choice for cooking.
After the first pressing, the debris may be pressed again, resulting in the lowest grade of olive oil, called pomace or sometimes olive-pomace oil. Some extra virgin may be added for flavor. This grade is mostly used in bulk food service and is not available to the general consumer.
Finally, there is light or extra light olive oil. These terms refer only to the color and taste and have nothing to do with fat or calories. This type may contain only a minute proportion, if any, virgin oils. Sometimes marketed in a way that makes consumers think the oil has less calories than virgin olive oil, the caloric content is still 125 calories per tablespoon. Yet, because the olive flavor is very mild, light olive oil is great for baking or cooking when you don't want to detect an olive taste.
Buying Tips
- Make sure to look for a date on the bottle. A harvest date is the best information, which tells when it's been bottled. If you can't find a harvest date, a "best used before" date is also helpful.
- Buying olive oil in large quantities is not recommended. Unlike wine, olive oil does not get better with age. Rather, it deteriorates and spoils. The shelf life of most olive oils is 12-18 months, but the flavor peaks within 2-3 months after harvest. Lower grades of oil have a shorter shelf life than extra virgin varieties because of their higher acidity levels. To prolong the freshness of olive oil, make sure to seal the bottle tightly after each use, and store in a cool, dry location, never on a sunny windowsill, where it will oxidize quickly. Olive oil should not be refrigerated as condensation may occur which can spoil the flavor of the oil.
- Don't go by packaging. A fancy bottle sometimes contains just average oil. Look for color--the best is a nice yellow with a hint of green. This indicates the olives were picked late in the season when they were black and ripe. The best olive oils should taste smooth, with a wonderful, fruity, olive taste.
- Purchase according to regional flavor preferences. Because the growing conditions and region affect taste, knowing where an olive oil is from can give a general idea of the flavor. Tuscan oils are usually rich and fruity with peppery tones, while oil from southern Italy tastes more delicate and mellow. Spanish oils typically have a full-bodied fruitiness with a slight bitterness. Greek oils are usually robust and assertive. Sonoma Valley oils tend to have a fresh, buttery flavor.
99% of olive production in the USA is in California; the USA represents less than 1% of the world's production of olive oil. Four main varieties are grown in California--Mission, Manzanillo, Sevillano, and Ascolano.
Italy is the largest importer and exporter of olive oil; however, Spain is the largest producer, accounting for 45% of the world's production. Olive trees have been grown for three thousand to six thousand years in the Mediterranean.
The olive tree can withstand the bleakest conditions--long hot summers, intense sun, mild winters with little water growing in the poorest soils.
They require little maintenance, irrigation or fertilization. Good on food, good on your skin! Olive oil can heal inflamed skin and moisturizes without clogging pores. Olive oil symbolizes longevity, fertility, maturity and peace in various cultures. Terms of the Trade
Storage
Perfect storage conditions are essential for the protection of olive oil from its worst enemies--light, heat and air, which can cause irreparable damage to the chemical and sensory characteristics of even the finest extra virgin oil.
Crushing
The oil in olives is contained in special cells mainly in the pulp and pit. In the first stage of processing, they are crushed to release the oil. During this phase, the oil and the water contained in the olives (50%) emulsify.
The prolonged mixing of the paste, at a constant temperature, breaks down the emulsion and causes the minute drops of oil to combine into a large mass which will be more easily separated in subsequent phases. This operation is called kneading.
Clarification
The oil extracted from the paste still contains emulsified water, fruit particles and mucilage in suspension. These substances compromise the quality of the oil inasmuch as they promote oxidation, hydrolysis and fermentation. They are removed by processes of clarification.
Extraction
The olive paste contains a percentage of oil varying from 18% to 27%, which can be extracted with different methods. The yield, that is to say the quantity in weight of oil that can be extracted from 100 kg of olives, depends on the type of olives, on the amount of water received by the plant, on the fertilizing, on the harvesting system, and above all on the extraction technique.
About The Sonoma Valley Olive Festival
Now through February 2010:
The Sonoma Valley Olive Festival, currently inits ninth year, is a celebration of the senses. Taking place December through February, the Olive Festival brings special events to the Sonoma Valley, as well as a range of festival promotions with local lodging, spas, wineries, restaurants and retail shops.
Phone: (707) 996-1090
Website: www.sonomavalley.com
Martini Madness at Saddles Restaurant
MacArthur Place Inn & Spa
January 8, 2010. 5 p.m.-7 p.m.
$40 per person, $85 Dinner Package
Website: www.macarthurplace.com
Bartenders from Sonoma Valley restaurants, bars & pubs vie to create the best new martini. Olive martini creations from local restaurants and bars, live jazz and delicious appetizers. Sample each of these unique, olive-inspired martinis and vote for your favorite! Dinner packages includes a ticket to Martini Madness followed by a 3-course dinner at Saddles Steakhouse Restaurant. MacArthur Place Inn & Spa, 29 East MacArthur Street, Sonoma CA 95476
Feast of the Olive Dinner at Ramekins Culinary School
450 West Spain Street
Sonoma, CA 95476
January 23, 2010
$150 per person
Call for Tickets (707) 996-1090 x108
Website: www.sonomavalley.com
Eat, drink and exalt the enchantments of Sonoma's famed green fruit at this year's Feast of the Olive. The best local chefs, winemakers and olive oil producers pair up to prepare unique 4-course feast for each long, candlelit table of guests. Tickets are $150 each and include a welcome reception, a sumptuous four-course feast, wine pairings and an "after party" of chocolate and port!
