olive oil Archives - Fresh From Oregon

Simply Natural ~ Lindsay Olives

September 5, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

I took a recent trip to our southern neighboring state to see what was “Fresh from California” and to attend my 5th IFBC in Sacramento. Northern California has the perfect climate to grow and produce a large selection of fresh fruits, vegetables and other products. During an evening of “Taste of Sacramento” I stopped by to meet the folks from Lindsay Olives. Usually when you say olives we all think of green and black olives. My memories of olives are at the holidays and putting a black olive on every one of my fingers, playing with them before eating each from my little fingers. I am starting that tradition now with my granddaughter and watching her enjoy olives just as much as I did. But olives are not just for the holidays Lindsay Olives has a NEW Line of Simply Natural Olives in the traditional green and black but also some delicious blends of olives. Check out some of the blends they will have:

Natural Italian Medley
Kalamata, Manzanilla and Queen olives mixed with a robust flavor combination of garlic and basil that is reminiscent of summertime on the Italian seaside. These would be perfect on an Antipasto Platter.

Natural Mediterranean Medley
A simple combination of parsley, black pepper and garlic is the ultimate enhancement to a perfect assortment of queen, Kalamata and Manzanilla olives. Toss these olives in a traditional Greek salad to add new layers of flavor.

Natural Spanish Blend
A hearty mix of garlic, paprika, marjoram, cumin and laurel leaves produce a bold and flavorful olive blend. Toss these in a pasta salad or chop some up and add to your favorite frittata recipe.

Coming soon NEW Lindsay Party Picks … Entertaining made easy, these olives are already on a pick in the jar, just open and add to your Martini simple and easy. Check out all the flavors they will have: Red Pepper, Spicy Veggies, Garlic, Sweet Veggie, Jalapeno, and hot Piri Piri Peppers.

Check out here all that Lindsay has to offer at ilovelindsay.com

Keep some Lindsay olives on hand just in case you have some family or friends that stop by. Here is a quick and easy recipe you can throw together in minutes.

Warm Olives with Herbs
3 tablespoons CVR Arbequina Olive Oil
1 (6 oz.) can Lindsay Naturals California Black Ripe Pitted Olives, drained
1 (6 oz.) can Lindsay Naturals California Green Ripe Olives, drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Add olives, garlic and thyme sprigs; saute 5 to 6 minutes or until heated through. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Capay Valley Ranches ~ California Olive Oil at its Best!

August 8, 2016 · by Carrie Trax ·

With its Mediterranean climate of mild winters and long hot summers Capay Valley is an ideal place to grow the finest olives and nuts. Here you will find Capay Valley Ranches nestled in this beautiful agricultural area just a short drive northwest of downtown Sacramento.

I had the opportunity along with a bus full of other food bloggers during the IFBC to visiting and tour Capay Valley Ranches. We arrived at their Taber Ranch location and were treated to a Farm to Fork lunch all made with their olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Roasted almonds tossed in CVR Rosemary Olive Oil & fresh herb and fresh melons tossed with fresh mint and CVR Honey were waiting for us as we arrived. Inside their rustic barn set among grape vines, olive trees and almond trees we were served the most amazing lunch. If you are looking for the perfect venue for a wedding, meeting or event you need to check this place out Taber Ranch Event Center. Platters of Heirloom Tomatoes and Roasted Beets drizzled with CVR Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil sprinkled with feta cheese and fresh basil looked like an artist palette. Arbequina olives are a Spanish varietal which makes a medium-bodied olive oil that has a freshly cut grassy flavor with floral undertones. The grilled chicken was basted with a BBQ sauce made with CVR Sriracha Mango infused White Balsamic Vinegar giving it a sweet hot flavor. A bowl of Quinoa, Kale & Fig Salad tossed with CVR Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil & balsamic dressing made the plate complete. Just when we thought we could not enjoy any more a tray of Cake Parfaits made with CVR Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil served with roasted strawberries & mascarpone cream was served finishing this amazing meal.

With our guides, owner Chris Steel and farm manager Joe Armstrong we toured the olive trees and almonds trees learning all about how they grow and are harvested. We were able to get off the bus and walk among the olive trees which were filled with hundreds of tiny olives that will be harvested in the fall. The almond trees, pronounced Amonds with out the “l” were starting to crack through their outer shell and within a few weeks they should be ready to harvest.

Capay Valley Ranch produces three varieties of olives Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki. Once harvested the olives are quickly rushed to the mill to be crushed within hours to produce the freshest flavorful extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. To read more and how to buy their olive oils, balsamic vinegars, nuts and honey check out their website at www.cvranches.com

We were each able to chose an olive oil to take home with us to try. I picked a bottle of their Rosemary Olive Oil and plan to make a Rosemary Focaccia with fresh cherry tomatoes. My husband, my official photographer, picked the Blood Orange infused Olive oil which is excellent for baking, adding a hint of orange flavor to sugar cookies, pound cake and delicious in brownies. It will also make a great vinaigrette to drizzle over a salad or tossed with pasta.

Remember Olive Oil is its freshest when used within 18 months after it is harvested and milled so buy local USA made olive oil. Explore and cook with some of these flavored olive oils from Capay Valley Ranches.

Toasted Almonds with Olive Oil
2 cups California Almonds (about 12 oz)
1 1/2 tablespoon CVR Rosemary Olive Oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the California almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast in oven until golden, about 15 minutes, shake pan every 5 minutes to keep the almonds evenly toasted. Let the almonds cool completely, then transfer to a small bowl. Add CVR Rosemary Olive Oil and salt, and toss until almonds are well coated.

Tomato Bruschetta Three Ways

September 24, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

What’s fresh this week. If you visit your local farmers market you will see a rainbow of different colors of tomatoes. There are cherry tomatoes in all shapes and colors, heirloom green stripes, Italian plums and the good old red tomato. I filled my bag with an assortment of tomatoes and bought some great bread, I’m ready to make some bruschetta. Since I have so many types of tomatoes I am going to share 3 different ways to make tomato bruschetta. The first tomato is the heirloom green stripe which has a mild flavor so I want to make sure I use an olive oil with some great flavor. The second tomatoes are a box of rainbow cherry tomatoes, so many colors and shapes so I am going to keep this one simple. The last tomato will be with red tomatoes and the traditional bruschetta is the best way to enjoy them.

Heirloom Bruschetta
3 small heirloom green stripe tomatoes, sliced
12 slices fresh mozzarella
3 cloves garlic, minced
Balsamic vinegar (Get a really good aged one)
Garlic olive oil
12 pieces any rustic bread, sliced
Salt & pepper
fresh basil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the bread on both sides with the garlic olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes of each side, remove from oven. Lay two slices of tomatoes and one slice of mozzarella cheese on each slice of bread. Sprinkle with the minced garlic and drizzle some of the olive oil and balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with fresh basil.

Rainbow Bruschetta
1 pint rainbow cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 basil leaves, minced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons basil flavored olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 loaf bread with kalamata olives, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the olive bread on both sides with the olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side, remove from oven. In medium bowl combine the cherry tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar and olive oil, add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon tomato mixture over toasted bread and enjoy.

Traditional Bruschetta
2 large red tomatoes, diced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 basil leaves, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 loaf french baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush the french baguette on both sides with the olive oil and bake in the oven until golden brown on both sides. This should take about 2-3 minutes on each side, remove from oven. In medium bowl combine tomatoes, mozzarella, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Place tomato mixture in a bowl on a large plate and place toasted bread around the bowl or scoop tomato mixture on each piece of bread and place on a large serving platter.

You can’t have the Oil without the Vinegar!

September 10, 2012 · by Carrie Trax ·

We arrived mid afternoon to the town of Leavenworth the “Alpine Bavarian Village” of Washington state. Our room at the Enzian Inn was not ready yet and with only one block to walk to town we decided to see what we could find. We passed many cute shops and tasting rooms of local wineries and then came to the shop I wanted to see. The Oil & Vinegar Cellar located at 633 Front Street where they say “Where the Virgin Compliments the Aged”. You need to go down a pair of stairs that leads you to the cellar of oil and vinegar heaven. The brick walls and silver fustino’s dripping out the sweet aged flavors of pure delight made me want to start dipping and tasting. I started down the balsamic vinegars, all aged 18 years, tasting flavors like fig, apricot, cinnamon peach, blackberry and the last one in the row white balsamic vinegar that was so sweet I had to have it. I moved on to their featured combo of the day cranberry walnut balsamic vinegar and Florida Orange olive oil, what a burst of flavor in your mouth. Finally I started tasting the olive oils with flavors like garlic mushroom, basil, jalapeno, key lime and roasted chili to name a few. But the one that caught my eye was butter olive oil. The label suggests that this was a healthy choice for over popcorn, drizzled on mashed or baked potatoes or tossed with sauteed shrimp and garlic over pasta. In all they had 12 different types of balsamic vinegars and 15 types of olive oils. This is a place I would recommend you stop in at if you find yourself in Leavenworth. Better yet you can order on line or join their club and get a surprise every three months in the mail.