Thursday, February 23, 2012

Every Day We're Rafflin'

You can still get a ticket or 2 or 100 until our Party on Friday, March 2nd. The prizes are awesome; the cause The AHA's Go Red for Women" even better!

The We Olive family is once again proud to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign during February.  As a special treat, we are sponsoring a raffle with several amazing prizes and the cost of entry is just $1.00 per ticket with the proceeds going to the American Heart Association.  If you are one of the lucky winners you could receive:

Grand Prize
  • Three-day, 2-night stay at the romantic La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, California (Online at LaValencia.com)
  • Dinner for 2 in La Jolla Village
  • Complimentary wine, cheese and tapas tasting at
    We Olive & Wine Bar La Jolla
  • $50 gift certificate at We Olive & Wine Bar La Jolla
  • $200 travel voucher
Regional Finalist Prizes (Ten winners)
  • $50 gift certificate to We Olive redeemable at any We Olive store or at ShopWeOlive.com

Store Finalist Prizes (Ten Winners – One per Store)
  • $25 gift certificate, redeemable at the awarding We Olive store
The Fine Print
Tickets $1 per entry; Must be 18 years or older to win; Entrants need not be present to win; Entries must be received in-store or postmarked by February 29; Winners to be announced March 5; Winners will be notified by phone or email; Full contest rules and updates at We Olive.com; We're envious but we'd much rather have our customers win such great prizes -- we're just like that here in the Ventura store ;)!

So pick up an entry form today, Go Red for Women and help us help the AMA promote heart disease awareness in women and everyone and continue spreading the word about how EVOO use can help promote healthy hearts!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Servin' Up Mardi Gras Magic


WE’VE GOT A MARDI GRAS MENU FIT FOR A KING’S –CAKE, THAT YOU CAN SERVE TO YOUR KREWE OR SAVE ALL FOR YOU Y’ALL!

Mini Muffulettas
Mardi Gras Gumbo
Back on the Bayon Salad
Caramel Krewe Banana Tart
Southern Peach Balsamic Cooler

RECIPES:
Mini Muffulettas
Ingredients:
• 1 (32-oz.) jar Italian olive salad ( Channel Islands Italian Salsa, Sable & Rosenfeld Olive Bruschetta, Pometta’s Muffuletta Spread)
• 12 small deli rolls, cut in half
• 12 thin Swiss cheese slices
• 12 thin deli ham slices
• 12 thin provolone cheese slices
• 12 Genoa salami slices
Preparation:
Spread 1 Tbsp. olive salad evenly over each cut side of roll bottoms. Top each with 1 Swiss cheese slice, 1 ham slice, 1 Tbsp. olive salad, 1 provolone cheese slice, 1 salami slice, and 1 Tbsp. olive salad. Cover with roll tops, and wrap sandwiches together in a large piece of aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 14 to 16 minutes or until cheeses are melted.

Mardi Gras Gumbo
Ingredients:
• 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 2 cups frozen sliced okra
• 1 pound raw peeled and de-veined shrimp
• 9 tablespoons We Olive Arbequina olive oil
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup diced onions
• 3/4 cup fine diced ham
• 1/2 cup fine diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 cup canned, diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 dried bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried Cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice, warm
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions

Preparation:
To prepare roux, heat 6 tablespoons olive oil in small heavy pan; add flour and whisk over medium heat, stirring constantly, until roux is a dark caramel color and has a toasted nut aroma. Remove from heat and reserve. In a heavy 4-quart soup pot (or gumbo pot), heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat; add onions and sauté until translucent. Add ham, celery, green peppers, and garlic; sauté for 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add reserved roux and stir until all vegetables are coated. Slowly whisk in chicken broth; add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, bay leaves, basil, thyme, oregano, okra, Cajun seasoning and salt. Stir until blended, bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. To serve, portion rice in bowls and top with gumbo; garnish with minced green onions.

Back-to-the-Bayou Salad
Ingredients:
• 1/2 head chopped lettuce
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 4 ounces Swiss cheese, diced
• 6 ounces smoked ham, diced
• 10 green olives
• 1/2 Cup fresh grated Romano
• Combine and chill. Add the dressing:
• 1/4 We Olive Garlic olive oil
• 1/4 Cup Sparrow Lane Cabernet Sauvignon or We Olive Pomegranate Champagne vinegar
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• salt and pepper to taste
Combine and pour over salad.

Caramel Krewe Banana Tart
INGREDIENTS:
1 unbaked pie shell or pre-baked tart shell
8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 oz Earth & Vine Provisions Caribbean Banana Caramel Culinary Sauce
2 large ripe bananas
9” tart shell pan

PREPARATION:
Bake pie shell according to package directions in a tart pan and let cool.
Blend together mascarpone cheese and 4 oz Caribbean Banana Caramel Culinary Sauce
Spread mascarpone caramel mixture evenly over tart shell.
Slice bananas into medium-thin slices and arrange in a circular design until tart is covered with banana slices.
Drizzle with more Caribbean Banana Caramel Culinary Sauce
Slice and serve with French vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream flavored with Chaparral Gardens Winter Ambrosia Vinegar

Southern Peach Balsamic Cooler
Ingredients:
1 quart sparkling water
1/4 cup We Olive Peach White Balsamic vinegar
Crushed ice
Blend and garnish with mint leaves
(Replace ½ sparkling water with sparkling wine or Proseco, if desired)
Portions can be adjusted to taste

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Presidential Recipes

George Washington's Chopping Down the Cherry Tree Might be a Myth, but these recipes with our flavored balsamics are certainly no fabrication!

Spinach Berry Salad with Blackberry Balsamic Viniagrette
Salad Ingredients:
8 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
4 oz. chevre, crumbled
1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted
1 pint fresh Strawberries sliced
Blackberry balsamic vinaigrette (see below)

Blackberry Balsamic Viniagrette Ingredients
1/4 We Olive AAA extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup. California Blackberry balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
pinch of salt and pepper
whisk together until well blended

Preparation:
Toss together spinach, chevre, walnuts, and Strawberries. Then drizzle with the blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. Serve.

Pork Tenderloin with Plum Balsamic Reduction
Ingredients
1 pork tenderloin
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon We Olive Mission extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup We Olive Wild Plum balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with foil. Season the pork tenderloin with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until the oil shimmers; gently lay the tenderloin into the hot oil. After about 1 minute, gently loosen the meat from the bottom of the skillet, if necessary. Cook until the pork is seared a golden brown color, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork to the lined baking sheet. Roast the seared tenderloin in the preheated oven until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork reads at least 150 degrees F/65 degrees C, about 15 minutes. Remove the pork from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into medallions.
Cook the balsamic vinegar, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the plums are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Return the sauce to the saucepan and simmer until reduced and thickened to the consistency of apple butter, about 5 more minutes. Spoon plum sauce over the sliced pork to serve.

Sliced Grapefruit with Creme Fraiche and Peach Balsamic Reduction Drizzle
Ingredients
1 cup high quality store bought creme fraiche
2 Ruby Red Grapefruits
1 cup We Olive Peach white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Preparation:
Peach Balsamcic Viengar Reduction:
Combine ingredients in a small non-reactive saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat until mixture is the consistency of honey and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 25 minutes
Grapefruit Segments:
Line large plate with several layers of paper towels. Cut all peel and pith off grapefruits. Working over bowl, cut between membranes to release segments; place on paper towels to drain.
Assembly:
On four small plates or bowls, equally divide and arrange grapefruit slices. Top each with 1/4 cup creme fraiche. Drizzle each generously with Peach Balsamci reduction. Garnish with freesh mint sprigs if desired.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Our Heart's In the Right Place - And So Is Yours!

The We Olive family is once again proud to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign during February.  As a special treat, we are sponsoring a raffle with several amazing prizes and the cost of entry is just $1.00 per ticket with the proceeds going to the American Heart Association.  If you are one of the lucky winners you could receive:

Grand Prize
  • Three-day, 2-night stay at the romantic La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla, California (Online at LaValencia.com)
  • Dinner for 2 in La Jolla Village
  • Complimentary wine, cheese and tapas tasting at
    We Olive & Wine Bar La Jolla
  • $50 gift certificate at We Olive & Wine Bar La Jolla
  • $200 travel voucher
Regional Finalist Prizes (Ten winners)
  • $50 gift certificate to We Olive redeemable at any We Olive store or at ShopWeOlive.com

Store Finalist Prizes (Ten Winners – One per Store)
  • $25 gift certificate, redeemable at the awarding We Olive store
The Fine Print
Tickets $1 per entry; Must be 18 years or older to win; Entrants need not be present to win; Entries must be received in-store or postmarked by February 29; Winners to be announced March 5; Winners will be notified by phone or email; Full contest rules and updates at We Olive.com; We're envious but we'd much rather have our customers win such great prizes -- we're just like that here in the Ventura store ;)!

So pick up an entry form today, Go Red for Women and help us help the AMA promote heart disease awareness in women and everyone and continue spreading the word about how EVOO use can help promote healthy hearts!

Friday, February 10, 2012

Edible Valentine Wishes

With a few ingredients from We Olive Ventura and some imagination, you can create the following Edible Valentine Wishes to express your affection:
 
Delicious Dipping Oil
Ingredients: 
  • ½ cup We Olive Traditional aged balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup We Olive robust garlic olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
  • 1 -2 teaspoon ground anise seed
  • 1 tablespoon dried, chopped onion
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • basil (fresh ground fine or jarred)

Directions: Mix everything together in a bowl and pour into a nice glass container.Let it sit for a few hours and shake it up lots to mix the flavors.  Give with a fresh loaf of crusty french bread and some dipping dishes.

Black Currant and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup Panacea Black Currant Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1/2 Cup We Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic finely diced
Blend all ingredients well to combine and pour into gift bottle.  Suggested pairings:  Endive, Pear, Orange & Almond Salad; Roasted Beet, Orange and Goat Cheese Salad; Pork Medallion Finishing Drizzle
 
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake
 Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees 

  •   1-1/2 cups flour
  •   1 cup sugar
  •   1/2 tsp. baking powder
  •   1/2 tsp. baking soda
  •   1/4 tsp. salt
  •   2 eggs slightly beaten
  •   3/4 cups milk
  •   1/2 cup We Olive Meyer Lemon Olive Oil 
  •   2 tsp. grated lemon peel (zest)

Glaze (Optional)

  2 Tbs. confectioners sugar
  2 Tbs. fresh squeezed lemon juice (adjust amounts to correct consistency)

Oil and flour loaf pan (parchment paper on bottom works great) 9" x 5" x 3".
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Beat eggs, oil, milk and orange zest till blended.  Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and thoroughly combine without over mixing.  Pour into loaf pan.  Bake for minimum of 40 minutes (start testing at this point) or until toothpick comes out clean.  Ovens will vary.  Cool for 15 minutes and turn out on cake plate.  Option: Mix confectioners sugar and lemon juice till you have a thick but pourable liquid.  Drizzle glaze down the top center of cake while still warm. 
Optional: Garnish with Fresh Raspberries.
 

 

Saturday, February 4, 2012

The Super Bowl of Healthy Snacking


Hosting some Peeps for the Big Game?  Serve some delicious snacks that won't put anyone back on their 2012 goals!
White Bean Dip
Ingredients
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons We Olive Sevillano extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh sage leaves
1 teaspoon We Olive Sevillano extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Place cannellini beans in bowl, and mash with fork; set aside. Heat a small pan over medium heat; add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and let it warm. Add garlic, and chopped fresh sage leaves. Stir constantly for 4 minutes or until garlic is brown and sage is crispy. Pour hot oil over beans; stir. Garnish with 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and store in fridge up to 1 week.

Slow Cooker Balsamic Honey Coffee BBQ Pulled Pork Recipe
Ingredients:
2 ¼ to 2 ½ pound boneless pork shoulder roast
1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup We Olive Traditional Aged balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoon soy sauce
½ cup coffee

Directions:
Place the onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. trim excess fat off the pork, season it with salt and pepper and place on top of the onion and garlic. Add the remaining ingredients into the slow cooker and set it at 8 hours on high. Baste the pork once or twice during cooking. After the 8 hours, shred the pork, add it back to the slow cooker so it will marinade in the sauce for a few minutes while you prepare to serve it. Serve it on a roll or sliced bread topped with greens and herbs.

Super Bowl Slaw
Ingredients
4 cups shredded green cabbage
2 cups thinly julienne carrots
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup chopped fresh parsley (or mint or cilantro)
1/3 cup We Olive Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon We Olive Wasabi Sake Mustard
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine cabbage, carrots, onion, and herbs in a large bowl; toss gently.
Whisk together remaining ingredients in a separate small bowl. Pour over cabbage mixture; toss well to coat. Serve immediately or chill for several hours for flavors to fully develop.

We Olive Blood Orange Brownies
One package We Olive or Ghirardelli Brownie Mix
Substitute Mission olive oil or vegetable oil with equal part of We Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil
Follow remaining instructions on package for outrageous Super Bowl or anytime brownies!