Rockin' It With Rebecca

You wouldn't know it to look at her, but Rebecca Fox, our assistant store manager is the store's top Foodie.  That is to everyone's benefit as Rebecca generously shares her culinary prowess with We Olive Ventura customers and staff alike! Joining our ranks just last October, Rebecca brought with her a wealth of knowledge from her 9 years as Sales and Catering Manager and 8 more years in the same position with Coastal Hotel Group.  In addition to enjoying the people, Rebecca's favorite part of working at We Olive is 'talking recipes all day long!"  Rebecca is responsible for our customer recipe book and also helps update our Facebook page with new uses for products available at We Olive Ventura.  She recalls a funny interaction with a customer who very descriptively talked about rubbing olive oil all over her epidermus.  Having nothing to add, she looked at Perry who shrugged his shoulders and Rebecca replied "Sounds good."  When she's not recipe gabbin' Rebecca enjoys time with her husband Bryan cruising on their two-wheel drive up the coast.  Rebecca also has a 16-year old daughter and 22-year old son.  A true beachcomber, Rebecca is an avid surfer. Forget the gift basket, Rebecca suggests using one of the fabulous books, designer serving plates or brie bakers found at We Olive as a base for some delicious complimentary products all wrapped together as a clever and useful gift presentation!   Her current top three favorite We Olive products (if she has to name just three) are Wine Country Kitchen's Tres Citrus balsamic vinegar, Earth & Vine's Red Ancho Chili Jam and We Olive Parmesan Asiago Cheese Spread.  One of her many terrific recipe ideas follows:

Rebecca's Parmesan Asiago Pizza: 

·         Pizza dough (fresh and Easy/Trader Joes/from scratch)

·         We Olive Parmesan-Asiago  (approx ¼  jar)

·          Roasted Chicken Breast (Chipotle Chicken :D mmm- Fresh & Easy)

·         Mushrooms  (whatever your favorite mushrooms are)

·         Artichoke Hearts

Pre-heat oven  (usually 400-450 depending on type of dough used). Flour cutting board.  Roll out pizza dough (fresh and Easy/Trader Joes/from scratch:D) Using We Olive extra virgin olive oil, lightly oil cookie sheet  (no oil for pizza stone), slide pizza dough onto cookie sheet/pizza stone.  Spread We Olive Parmesan-Asiago onto dough.  Add Chipotle Chicken, cube or small pieces (or your favorite protein). Add mushrooms (your favorite kind) sliced or broken pieces.  Add Artichoke Hearts,  small/medium pieces.  Bake for 10-20 minutes,  depending on dough.

Take pizza out of oven.  Top with Arugula and drizzle with We Olive Basil Olive Oil. 

For some fun product sampling and wonderful recipe ideas, visit Rebecca at We Olive Ventura!



Get Personal With Perry

He's the Prince of Passion, the Baron of Balsamic, the Tormenter of the Trouble Table, the ONE, the ONLY -- Perry Rice, our store manager and 40-year friend of store owner Steve Tobey!  When Steve first opened the store, Perry periodically checked in to see how things were going.  Knowing Perry's special powers of persuasion, Steve encouraged Perry to join the team and the rest as they say is history!  Like Steve, Perry's We Olive passion is the people.   In fact, he has been known to spot a customer being helped by another associate and walked by and whispered "switch," recognizing that his personal touch was just what was required.  Perry is helpful in a multitude of ways, often checking on customers' dietary fiber intake and suggesting that the house balsamic served on cardboard might be just what the doctor ordered for increased fiber.  He also offers remedies to those with dry skin accompanying them to the lotion selections for a silky smooth olive oil based remedy!  His current favorite three We Olive products are: (1) the We Olive Parmesan Asiago spread, (2) Carmen's Habitual Habanero gourmet dressing and marinade, and (3) the house aged balsamic vinegar.  His perennial gift suggestion involves an apron, a chocolate dessert sauce and a We Olive body butter .  My funniest We Olive moment with Perry involves a customer tasting the BR COHN Chocolate Raspberry Cabernet Fudge sauce and noting quite audiably her suggested use scenario.  Although he denies it, it was the first time I have ever known Perry to blush and be speechless!  On his rare off days, Perry has many fishy or as he says fishing stories and enjoys time doing yoga, spinning and playing with his new kittens Max and Chief.  True to his fishing persona, he offers the following recipe:

PERRY’S POKE

Ingredients:

1 lb ¾ inch Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna, cubed

1 yellow onion, thin sliced

1/3 bottle of Carmen’s Habitual Habanero

2 ripe avocados, peeled and cubed

1 box Bella Cucina Pane Rustico Italian Crackers

Preparation:

Marinate Tuna and Onion for one hour in the Carmen’s, pour off excess

Arrange on a platter layering tuna mixture in between crackers place avocado cubes on the side

Please stop by We Olive Ventura and enjoy some more Perryisms, but if he tells you you spilled something on your shirt, never, ever look down!

Stuff About Steve

Steve Tobey is the owner of the We Olive Ventura store.  After 30 years as a building contractor, Steve decided it was time for a change.  The store opened the day after Thanksgiving in 2008 to robust sales and has kept Steve more than occupied ever since!  Steve loves the health and flavor benefits offered by California-certified extra virgin olive oils, but Steve's favorite thing about We Olive is the people. Most days you'll find Steve behind the bar sharing his love of the wonderful products the store carries. On the rare occasions that he is away, Steve enjoys spending time with his daughter Emily 20, a junior at UC Davis majoring in Chemistry and Justin 16, a high school junior and the marching band drum major.  He also has two dogs, Buddy and Tobi (yes, Tobi Tobey) who dote on him!  His current top three favorite products in the store are the Pasolivo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the Channel Islands Italian Salsa and Sierra's Five-Chile Blend Dipping oil.  One of the funniest incidents Steve recalls at We Olive involves trying to pour a new bulk oil into a fustino that somehow resulted in store manager and long-time friend Perry being about an inch deep in olive oil.  Unintentionally, they learned that olive oil really does make a great shoe polish!   Steve recommends trying the recipe below as a beautiful and flavorful appetizer or delicious snack.  He served it at the store's grand opening to rave reviews!

PASOLIVO ORANGES

Ingredients: 4 - 5 of oranges
pinch of sugar
freshly ground black pepper
Pasolivo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
loaf of fresh bread
Instructions: 1. Cut the oranges into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange on a large plate or platter.
2. With a fork, press the orange slices to release some of the juice.
3.Sprinkle just a pinch of sugar over the oranges.
4.Generously drizzle with Pasolivo so that the oranges are covered in olive oil.
5.Pepper the oranges.
6.Cut the bread, and dip it onto the orange slices. You'll taste the oil, with a hint of fresh citrus.
You can also try this with lemons or grapefruit or any robust We Olive brand oil such as Koroneiki or Tuscan. Tucking basil leaves under the oranges adds even more color.

Next up:  Get Personal with Perry!

We're Blogging!

We're told it's a good thing kinda like using only California certified extra virgin olive oils.  The goal is to introduce ourselves, provide some additional information beyond our newsletter, post new recipes and uses for our delicious and nutritious products, and keep folks up to date with goings on in our store and about town!  We hope you'll check on with our blog posts from time to time.  We'd love to have you suggest topics of interest, like how to clean olive oil bottles, etc.  We'll also try to answer any questions we receive from you.  We're blogging!  We hope you like blogging too!