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JUNE 2013
EVOO with Fresh Herbs
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FAN PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Fan Photo of the Month: Matthew Goodfarmer Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Tuna and Lemon

Pasta Pasta!

Congrats to Matthew G. from our Facebook page. "Whole wheat spaghetti with tuna and lemon." We highlight one fan a month. Please send your photo to [email protected] or post on Facebook
FACES AT THE RANCH
Brian Mori May 2013

Brian on the Ranch

Brian Mori works with our family farmers, or contract growers, on matters like crop practices, harvest, and quality. Here, he's inspecting  trees at our Artois Ranch, in northern California.  
SUMMERTIME FRESH FROM THE FARMERS' MARKET
Farmers' Market via Fotosearch
Greetings! 

The growing season is in full swing at the ranch. Our olive trees bloomed last month.  Baby olives have begun growing. Come July, we'll get a good indication of the amount of olives our trees will produce. Our field crews, meanwhile, have been mowing spring grasses and mulching tree trimmings left from April pruning.

While we won't harvest our olives until fall, summer marks the peak of 'Farmers' Market Season' for all sorts of fruits and vegetables. We love to head out and admire the fresh bounty brimming over the bins at our local farmers' market: golden beets, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and peaches.

The food is fresh, colorful and seasonal, and it's good to support our local growers.
Writing in the The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers' Market Cookbook, restaurateur Alice Waters notes that going to the market "celebrates the rhythms of the earth and supports the culture and traditions of diversified, sustainable, local agriculture."

In the kitchen, farm fresh produce benefits from simple preparations, allowing the natural flavors to speak for themselves. That means using raw tomatoes instead of canned to make pasta sauce - or simply slicing tomatoes and topping them with good California olive oil, flaky sea salt, and chopped basil.  There's nothing quite like using fresh basil or arugula to make a pesto ... or taking a slice of eggplant, brushing it with homemade garlic-infused olive oil, and throwing it on the grill.

Below are recipes to help you capitalize on the farmers' market bounty that's available this time of year. Many of the recipes are easy and quick.  And fresh extra virgin olive oil helps make these dishes shine.
Our Favorite Recipes For Summer's Bounty
Arugula Pesto
Arugula pesto "Arugula is a bit spunky by nature and has a distinct spicy flavor - two things that make it an excellent candidate for a unique pesto," says  Viviane Bauquet Farre of food & style, who created this dish. Viviane notes it can be used as a sauce with pasta, gnocchi, grilled vegetables, fish or chicken, on pizzas, in vinaigrettes, in sandwiches, or as a dipping sauce. You can refrigerate the pesto for up to three days, or freeze it for up to a month.
 
Click here to see the recipe
Roasted Cauliflower
Photo: http://www.jamesransom.com/
Roasting cauliflower in our Everyday Fresh extra virgin olive oil is our favorite way to prepare this underrated veggie. It brings out cauliflower's natural sweetness. Topped with crispy panko bread crumbs, this recipe comes from our award-winning friends at Food52, and includes fresh parsley, garlic, and lemon zest.

Click here to see the recipe
Grilled Zucchini, Bell Pepper, Goat Cheese and Bread Salad
A good dish to serve friends, and easy to prep ahead of time. The salad is dressed with a "double-tomato" dressing made with sun-dried and cherry tomatoes - perfect with our fruity Arbequina oil. Use our Everyday Fresh oil for grilling the veggies and bread. The recipe comes from The Fresh and Green Table (Chronicle Books, 2012), by Susie Middleton.

Click here to see the recipe
Lemony Green Bean Salad with Feta, Red Onion, Marjoram
Photo: http://www.jamesransom.com/
Not your typical green bean salad. This dish is infused with lemon and gets a subtle onion taste from red onion. Marjoram adds an herbal note. A dash of agave nectar in the dressing adds sweetness and smooths out the flavor of the lemon and the feta. The recipes comes from the food website Food52. Use our Everyday Fresh oil to prepare the dressing.

Click here to see the recipe
Roasted Radishes with Almond Salsa Verde
Photo: http://www.jamesransom.com/
We recently had our first batch of roasted radishes - and loved the results. In this Food 52 recipe, roasted radishes are paired with a bright, pungent salsa verde that includes chopped almonds. Serve with grilled fish or meat - or simply with toasted artisan bread to soak up all the fabulous flavors. Use our nutty Arbosana oil to bring out the almonds in the salsa verde.

Click here to see the recipe
Warm Leek Salad with Olives and Eggs
Warm Leek Salad with Olives and Eggs This French-inspired dish combines leeks, oil-cured black olives, and chopped hard-boiled egg. The salad is dressed with a simple vinaigrette. The recipe comes from  The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook: Tasting California's Small Farms (2012, Mirabelle Press), by Georgeanne Brennan and Ann M. Evans. Use our Everyday Fresh or fruity Arbequina oils to prepare the vinaigrette.

Click here to see the recipe
The Chef Who Was a Latin Major
Cathy Whims
Cathy Whims Cathy Whims didn't study at a professional culinary school.  Whims followed a less traditional route by majoring in Latin at the University of North Carolina. This stoked her interest in French and Italian cuisine and cooking. It also sparked her interest to travel, during which time she met and studied Italian cuisine in the kitchens and restaurants of the finest Italian chefs.

Today, Whims - a five-time James Beard Award finalist - is co-owner and executive chef at the highly regarded Nostrana, in Portland, Ore. The restaurant serves regional Italian cuisine, emphasizing simple dishes and seasonal ingredients. Whims sources her ingredients from local farmers and suppliers. We caught up with her by phone from the restaurant. 

How did you get an interest in Italian food?

I was a Latin major in college. I did that - obviously not out of practicality - but out of love and fascination for ancient culture. I was especially interested in French and Italian cuisine. Before Nostrana, I was a wine buyer at Genoa when I was in my early 30s. Italian winemakers would invite me to Italy. The more I went to Italy, the more I realized the food was not what I initially thought. Italian food was simple and beautiful. Until then, I'd been quite a Francophile. It was a real revelation for me that true Italian food could be so simple and so perfect at the same time.

You studied in Italy with famed Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan. She had a big influence on how you view olive oil.

One thing I learned from her is how olive oil is such a significant part of the dish. It is a main ingredient - not just something for saut�ing food. I stress this to my cooks that come through the restaurant. Sometimes they will be shocked at how much oil I use in my dishes, but I remind my cooks - and the students that I teach - that it's a component of the dish. It's not just for saut�ing onion, garlic or parsley. Without it, the dish won't taste Italian.

What's one of your earliest food memories?

When I was 8 or 9, I remember I told my mother I wanted to have prime rib for my birthday dinner. And I wanted to eat it with my hands! My mother wasn't so keen on the hands idea, however.

How did you decide to become a chef?

When I was in high school, I decided I wanted to be a vegetarian. My mother was not very happy about it. She said: 'OK, you're going to make a vegetarian dish for dinner every night. And I'll make a dish that you don't have to eat. And then the family can choose one or both.' And I think that's what set me off on wanting to be a chef.

How do you use California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil at Nostrana?    

We use Arbequina. It's the only oil we use for cooking. It adds amazing flavor.  We also place the oil on the tables with our own breads, ciabatta and focaccia. Our customers love the olive oil with the bread. We also put it over vanilla or bittersweet chocolate gelato with a sprinkle of sea salt.

What's your best advice for home cooks? Cathy Whims

Don't be afraid to use salt. And don't salt at the very end of the dish. Use a little throughout while you're preparing the dish. If you don't, at the end you'll end up over-salting the food and it won't be fully integrated. Also, don't be trapped by a recipe. If, for example, a recipe calls for cooking onions five minutes to caramelize them, it really takes much longer - 25 minutes or so. Cookbooks often lie! Go with your instincts, and don't be afraid to cook things longer.  

What do you like to prepare at home?

I've been trying to eat a lot of vegetable meals at home - not necessarily vegetarian meals. I'm always around such rich foods. So I try to eat really healthy at home. Asparagus is in season here in Portland. So last night I boiled some and served it with a salsa verde made using your olive oil, along with poached eggs. We also cook a lot of fresh beans. There are some amazing farmers here in Portland - Ayers Creek Farm - and they grow these amazing heirloom beans. We'll use them in soup or simply cooked and drizzled with olive oil.   

Do you use recipes when you cook - or wing it?

I wing it more at home. But I'm not one of those chefs who doesn't use recipes. I use recipes a lot, particularly at work. I always want to try new things. My mom taught me that the first time you make a dish you should follow the recipe.  After that, you can add your own variations.