extra virgin olive oil Archives

Roasted Eggplant

June 24, 2015 by Kristin

Would it be so wrong to create a recipe, document said recipe, enjoy the heck out of it, but not post it? Because that’s what’s happening here. I made a delicious concoction of caramelized onions and goat cheese. And I fell in love with roasting eggplant slices. But…

I just can’t post a recipe that is SO time consuming to make and only feeds the mouth of… one. And I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that I took down an entire eggplant, half a package of goat cheese, and a half of a caramelized onion on my own.

But what I am going to do? Share how to roast eggplant slices. Because after tasting the roasted eggplant there really wasn’t a need for any toppings. The roasting process rids eggplant of its infamous spongy texture and brings out an amazing flavor I never knew existed.

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Germinated Rice with Tomatoes & Mozzarella

January 9, 2015 by Kristin

Our first dinner at the Casale Di Valle was memorable in so many ways. All of the Storytellers were together around a single table for the first time. We were familiar faces, familiar voices, but we didn’t know each other at all {a frequent feeling in the blogging world}. And over the course of our first dinner, a home cooked meal by Chef Ana and an array of DaVinci Wines, we’d skip straight past acquaintance to friendship.

The meal consisted of a variety of grilled meat and veggies and a grain salad I would never forget: farro with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, and a simple seasoning of salt and pepper. Such an ordinary list of ingredients may leave you wondering why this dish was so memorable. But its simplicity allowed the flavor of each ingredient to shine. And it was the first time I had ever noticeably appreciated the taste of olive oil. I’d be sure to bring a few bottles of Chef Ana’s olive oil of choice home with me.

Oh and the wine! The wine allowed us to enjoy each other’s company long past the point of jet lag exhaustion. We started with Pinot Grigio and, from there, moved to Chianti and Chianti Riserva. This meal would also be the the first of many meals where all three wines {and occasionally the Brunello} would be passed across the table, from friend to friend, to complement our meal.

My version of Chef Ana’s recipe below pairs wonderfully with DaVinci Chianti.

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Balsamic Strawberries With Basil Whipped Cream

October 29, 2014 by Kristin

When I first opened this month’s HEB Primo Picks package, my first instinct was to roast something. I roasted cauliflower and later broccoli, but neither felt worthy of a blog post. And then my mind shifted to desserts… Balsamic desserts.

While roasting all of those veggies, the thickness of the Central Market balsamic vinegar was noticeably different than what you can typically find in the grocery store. It was slightly reduced, a closer resemblance to the balsamic I brought back from Italy last month. This was my motivation for reducing it further.

How visions of roasted veggies turned into a balsamic reduction mixed with sliced strawberries and olive oil, topped with basil whipped cream, I’ll never know. But what I can tell you is how much I loved this combo.

As part of the HEB Primo Picks team, I received compensation to sample various Primo Picks products. The opinions in this post are completely my own and based on my experience.

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