Here in Italy, olive oil is used in the kitchen every day, and not just because it is so readily available. It just happens to be a versatile, healthy choice that lends itself to any recipe and any cooking technique. Some of its uses are more obvious, like using it to dress a salad, while others are not so much, at least not to me. When I moved here from the U.S., for example, I immediately noticed how people here would drizzle freshly pressed olive oil over their piping hot soups and stews as a finishing touch before digging in. I had never seen that done before and I was so intrigued by the idea of taking so much care in the preparation and layers of flavor with your everyday bowl of soup! The first time I tried it was a revelation, the fresh and pungent oil hitting the hot food opens up a bouquet of flavors and aromas that turns something already delicious into something sublime. Olive oil can be used every day as anything from the star ingredient to a supporting role.

Olio Verde Novello is the best oil for drizzling over hot foods, be it soup, freshly grilled meat, fish or vegetables, even pizza! It is also the best choice for salad dressing like you’ve never tasted it before and is perfect as the base for a delicious dip for crudités. A similar appetizer, known here in Italy as “pinzimonio”, consists of a platter of fresh, thinly sliced seasonal vegetables drizzled with Olio Verde Novello and sprinkled with sea salt. (Those of you who are familiar with the Roman “puntarelle” salad, and are able to locate this endive-like vegetable called “catalogna” in Italian, at the farmer’s market, will agree that this is one of the best Italian pinzimonio recipe traditions).

Another excellent recipe used very frequently here in Castelvetrano is “pani cunzato”, or “seasoned bread”. It is usually made with the city’s exclusive “pane nero”, “black bread”, but any type of crusty, hearty bread will do just fine! Buy a round loaf of about 1 pound and warm it in the oven, whole. Then remove it, slice it in half lengthwise and plate it. Scatter 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 3-5 diced cherry tomatoes (seeds removed) and ½ cup of young (as in, not aged) sheep’s cheese (we like pecorino primo sale) on top of the warm bread. Add a few anchovy filets (either crushed and added into the oil, then drizzled, like Caesar salad, or cut into bits and scattered or just left whole for those who aren’t afraid…of the anchovy), a very generous drizzle of Olio Verde Novello, a sprinkle of fine sea salt, a few turns of fresh cracked black pepper and a dusting of fresh oregano (not some nameless, dry, grey, old, almost scentless oregano – Sicilian oregano from a Sicilian producer is always best). Press the two halves together like a sandwich and voilà! Give it a try and then write us and let us know what you think!

Classic Olio Verde is perfect for anything. Use it as the main ingredient in a marinade and  for basting or coat the bottom of your pan with it for braising or sautéing. Don’t be afraid to fry with it either! High quality extra virgin olive oil is very stable when heated. It has a high smoke point (around 400°F/204°C), which is well above the ideal temperature for frying (356°F/180°C). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying (although the Becchinas prefer to use fresh oil each time). Again, we are talking about high quality extra virgin olive oil. The variety of the olive, growing conditions, how the oil was produced and how the oil is stored all play a role in the oil’s smoke point. For example, oxidation due to exposure to light, heat or air will lower an olive oil’s smoke point…just another reason to follow the “store in a cool, dark place in an airtight glass or stainless steel container” suggestion!

Olio Verde is also excellent for baking. Once baked, the rich and pungent olive taste  of the oil mellows and blends with the other ingredients. All that is left to remind you that you used olive oil in your baked goods is the incredible moistness that it gives. It has also been used as a key ingredient in a certain famous Swiss chef’s signature chocolate mousse recipe!

When you are thinking of how to use Olio Verde al Limone, just think of any recipe where you would use olive oil and lemon juice or zest, since its loaded with the essential oils from hundreds of untreated lemon peels. It is ideal for salad dressings, marinades, basting and drizzling. It goes exceptionally well with beans and legumes, whether drizzled onto cooked lentils or bean soup, or used to enhance fava bean and chick pea purees (hummus anyone?). My personal favorite is a white bean dip that combines cooked cannellini beans, chopped garlic and parsley, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and olive oil. Using Olio Verde al Limone is a way of layering and blending the flavors, giving delicious results. Green, leafy vegetables like swiss chard and spinach are at their best when sauteed in olive oil and chopped garlic and then finished with a thin drizzle of this oil. As one can well imagine, fresh, high quality fish also hugely benefits from Olio Verde al Limone. Not at all overpowering, Olio Verde al Limone is subtle, allowing for the perfect flavor combinations. It also adds an amazing depth of flavor and moistness to our signature citrus pound cake!

Here are a few of our Olio Verde with Lemon signature dishes:

-          drizzled over plain pasta with slivers of moist mullet bottarga and strips of bufala mozzarella, with a very light dusting of freshly chopped parsley and young celery leaves to finish;

-          a pasta condiment combining sheep’s milk ricotta, green fava or lima beans, a sprinkle of chopped Sicilian wild fennel leaves, a few skewered whole garlic cloves quickly swirled through, just for a very light hint of flavor, and a good amount of ground black pepper (+ a few slices of steamed, Italian baby artichoke hearts in that mix does very well too for those who want a “bigger” effect);

-          drizzled into a pan midway while searing a cleaned cod / monkfish / sea bass filet with thinly sliced potatoes and green asparagus, sea salt, a fresh/frozen/dry piece of medium-hot hornet chilli: It all gets put into a searing hot pan at the same time, with classic OV, at high heat to start for about 2 minutes without tossing any of the ingredients. Then, lower the heat and cover the pan. Turn everything once after 10 minutes, add OV Lemone and allow for 10 more minutes and it’s ready to serve.

These are just some basic ideas for the many uses of Olio Verde. We have  plenty more ideas and recipes and we’ll keep them coming. Here’s another: our quirky accountant swears that taking a spoonful of olive oil before a night of drinking will keep you from, ahem, becoming intoxicated…but we personally can’t vouch for that one!   - AM