Makes about 2 cups

Pesto, or pesto sauce, is a simple puree of fresh basil, garlic, cheese, and fine olive oil. It is vitally important when making pesto that you use a fine quality olive oil in your recipe. If you must rinse the basil, be sure to dry it thoroughly before beginning. Also if you must store your pesto after making it, drizzle just enough olive oil over the surface to thinly cover and prevent discoloration.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh basil leaves
10 cloves of garlic peeled
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons soft butter
¾ fresh grated gourmet Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons fresh grated Romano cheese
½ cup pine nuts

Method:

Put basil leaves in a blender or food processor.
Add garlic cloves and blend at the medium speed setting.
Slowly pour in ½ cup olive oil while running.
Stop and scrape off basil from sides occasionally.
After basil is finely pureed, spoon the mixture into a mixing bowl.
Fold the softened butter into the basil mixture. Now add the grated cheeses and blend well. Add the remaining olive oil to the blend, and stir in pine nuts. When serving pesto over pasta or fish, you can thin it with one or two tablespoons of hot water. Pesto is not meant to be cooked.

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Makes about 3 cups

1 lb fresh vine ripe tomatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, minced
3 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ lemon squeezed
2 tablespoons fresh herbs i.e. fresh basil oregano, chives, Italian parsley, marjoram, and thyme (you can substitute cilantro for mixed herbs)
Sea salt and ground pepper

Method: Peel tomatoes in this manner: Carefully place whole tomatoes in boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove, drain, and immediately place them in ice water. Drain tomatoes and peel skins. Core tomatoes and discard seeds. Chop tomatoes and set aside.

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Country of production does make a difference when deciding which olive oil to purchase. Spanish olive oil is a premier choice.

The Holiday Season is a time for welcoming guests to the table. This year, make a place for Spanish olive oil at your gathering be it a casual buffet, multi-course dinner or simple get-together for small bites. Olive oils provide smooth, vibrant and bold tastes that enhance the flavor of any dish from appetizers to desserts.

Olive oil from Spain is a favorite choice of leading chefs around the world, including award-winning chef José Andrés. The chef-owner of seven highly-acclaimed restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area and author of ‘Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America’ (Random House) recommends elevating the flavor of any holiday meal by using olive oil in recipes that call simply for oil.‘The unique flavor of olive oil from Spain adds depth and richness to any holiday dish, whether it’s savory or sweet,’ Andrés said. ‘Of course it’s great for sautéing, roasting or finishing dishes, but also try substituting olive oil for vegetable oil or butter when baking holiday cakes and cookies,’ he said.  From North Central Illinois News Tribune Online

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Extra-virgin Spanish olive oil is suggested to cook with. First year, quality extra virgin olive oil should be added to dishes as a garnish after they have been cooked. You can add olive oil to soups or entrées as a condiment, at the table. Use a drizzle cruet to add olive oil sparingly while cooking or garnishing food. When barbecuing meat or fish it’s best to add quality extra virgin olive oil after cooking, unless the olive oil is an ingredient of a the marinade.The flavor of olive oil will change when heated to 140° F. Olive oil will begin to burn at 280° F. Frying foods at high temperatures is not recommended using olive oil. A peanut oil or rice bran oil would make a good substitute for frying foods such as potatoes or fish. Heating olive oil, (while cooking) will change the taste and character of the olive oil substantially. Never heat olive oil to excessive temperatures. Do not keep olive oil to reuse after it has been brought to the smoking point, as overheating olive oil can produce toxins. cooking with olive oil, olive oil condiment 

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Food writer, Georgeanne Brennan, says, ‘This simple dish has such a compelling taste.” Serve with grilled or pan-fried salmon, chicken or steak. You’ll find the vinaigrette is so good with these entrees, you’ll be topping each forkful with some.

Warm Asparagus with Tarragon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons gourmet Dijon mustard
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 pounds fresh asparagus spears

Method:

In a small bowl place mustard and whisk in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Slowly add the olive oil, whisking constantly, until completely incorporated. Stir in the shallots and tarragon. Set to one side for at least 15 minutes.
Trim the asparagus, discarding woody ends. Steam, roast or grill the spears whole until just tender when pierced with a fork. Do not overcook.
Arrange the still-warm asparagus on a warm serving plate, spoon the dressing over it and turn the asparagus gently to coat.
Serves 4 to 6 asparagus recipe, tarragon vinaigrette, oil and vinegar recipe  

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Visit Scaldoni’s Restaurant.

Fine Italian Restaurant Located in St. George Utah
http://www.scaldonis.com

Recipe from Executive Chef, Johnny DeVivo

Gourmet Green olives and roasted Pepper sauce

Ingredients:

7- green olives slivered
Sprinkle of cracked peppercorns
1- Roasted red peppers diced ¼ inc
4- Garlic Cloves confit sliced ¼ inc
8- Chives finely sliced
3- Sprigs Tarragon Picked
2- Tablespoons Balsamic reduction Sea salt
Olive oil

Preparation:

To make Balsamic Reduction- Use two cups Balsamic vinegar & reduce by half or until syrup consistency Garlic Confit- Slice four cloves of garlic ¼ inch thick & submerge in olive oil (just until covered), place on the stove over low heat until oil begins to slowly come to a boil & place the oil & the pot in the refrigerator until cool

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7 medium red ripe tomatoes, cut into thick slices
12 orange cherry tomatoes sliced
2 ears sweet corn
1 small sweet onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, pressed through a garlic press
1 avocado, halved, pitted and cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
dash of aged balsamic vinegar

6 to 8 servings.

tomato salad recipe, oil and vinegar salad recipe

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From: The Saucy Cook
BY MARY JO SPIEGEL

This classic French balsamic vinaigrette is so easy it makes going to the store and buying salad dressing seem rediculous. By changing the type of mustard, vinegar or oil, you can create nearly endless variations. Add a little gourmet honey, change the herbs, season with salt and pepper. After you make this, try my other favorite version swapping honey mustard for Dijon and raspberry vinegar for balsamic.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic , pressed through a garlic press

1 tsp gourmet raw honey (optional)

Method:

Put balsamic, Dijon mustard, extra virgin olive oil and pressed garlic in a tightly capped container or jar. Shake together until emulsified. Toss with salad. Will also make a great meat or vegetable marinade. Makes about 4 servings.

balsamic vinaigrette, oil and vinegar, vinaigrette recipe

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Tired of a Thanksgiving Turkey that tastes like eating cardboard? I honestly don’t know how many Thanksgiving dinners I have struggled through… at a get-together, at an in-laws, or even some restaurants, where the turkey that was served was dry, tough, and nearly next to inedible. There is an alternative. Take the initiative this year, and YOU cook the turkey.

You can cook a Thanksgiving turkey with less than 15 minutes prep time, and the result be an unbelievable juicy tender turkey. File this cooking tip away as your own secret. (It works on roasts as well.)
The following is how to cook a turkey in a ‘Reynolds Oven Bag’. This is a special plastic bag, made specifically for oven cooking.

Oven Turkey Herb and Spice Marinade

1 whole turkey (about 8-10 lbs)
1 tbsp. sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, (you can substitute a vegetable oil)
2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. of dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. Mrs. Dash poultry spice
1 lg. sweet onion, chopped (walla walla sweet onion if possible)
1/4 cup of water
1 ‘Reynolds’ Plastic Baking bag, Turkey size. (most supermarkets carry these)

In a medium bowl combine together herb and spice mixture and set aside. Rinse turkey thoroughly and pat dry. Place turkey in an oven baking bag and drizzle oil over turkey then sprinkle all of spice mixture inside and out of meat. Place chopped onion inside of turkey and close bag. Tie with provided nylon plastic oven tie. Marinate overnight in refrigerator.

Place in roasting pan and make 5 or 6 ½ inch slits on top of the bag.

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Open plastic tie and add ¼ cup of water to inside of oven bag. Close bag and re-tie nylon tie. Bake at 350 degrees until appropriate doneness according to the size of the turkey. This will be about 1 hour 15 minutes, to 1 hour 35 minutes. You can carefully open the bag, and test with a knife or fork for whether or not the turkey is done, it will flake open… if the turkey is large you may need another 5 or 10 minutes… but don’t over do it.

Remove turkey from oven bag, carve and serve. It will be juicy, and be extremely tender.

One last note, there is no clean up. You discard the oven bag and there is literally no pan, grill, or roasting mess to clean.

oven roasted turkey, turkey marinade spices, turkey oven bag
 

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