Coming out of the demanding and at times exhausting milling season, we begin to enjoy the fruits of our labor. Of course, cooking is one way we do this, and with the new olive oils, it is incredibly rewarding.

We marvel at the radical change this single ingredient brings to meals. Sometimes a dish is redefined by adding an assertive olive oil, other times it seems that all the elements come together only when olive oil is drizzled over it. Then there are the times when olive oil is simply a great flavor enhancer.

When doing demos and classes we are often asked what foods get better with olive oil. Our answer has more to do with exceptions -- the foods you have to be careful not to overpower with the oil’s vegetal bitterness. When used correctly, the vast majority of meals become much more interesting, tasty and nutritious when finished with good olive oil. At this point, if there’s no good olive oil at hand, we feel something is missing!

Let us share two simple recipes from Provence, France, which offer a good opportunity to enjoy a quality olive oil. You can use them for salad dressings, dips or sauces.

Provencal Herbs with Olive Oil

4 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons dried marjoram

1 teaspoon of dried rosemary

1 teaspoon of lavender

3 dried bay leaves

Grind all herbs together into a fine powder. Sieve and keep in an airtight container.

This is a very aromatic blend recommended for stews, game meat and root vegetables. Also, it’s ideal for marinating olives.

For bread dipping, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon herbs onto 1 ounce of olive oil (Don’t overdo it since this will make appreciating the goodness of the olive oil difficult.). French baguette or Ciabatta are good bread options. No vinegar or balsamic please! These would overpower the dip and throw the flavors completely off balance.

This blend makes an exceptionally nice salad dressing and can be used on boiled potatoes as well – potatoes are always a good means to feature quality olive oil.

Two Versions of Rouille (pronunciation: ˈruːi)

Rouille is a typical Provencal sauce used with the famous local fish soup, Bouillabaise. It’s name means rust and refers to its color. Rouille is wonderful on white fish or on a loaf of white bread. You can also serve it as a dip for carrot or celery sticks (this applies to the second version).

The first version is quite spicy:

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 small dried red chilies

Course crumbs from 2 white bread loaves (without crust, one or two days old)

Water for soaking

6 ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a mortar (or, if you don’t have the time, in a food processor) smash the garlic, salt and chilies until they form a paste. Soak the bread in water then squeeze to remove the excess moisture. Add bread to the paste. Mix well until all ingredients are blended. Gradually add the olive oil.

This recipe is more delicate:

1 red bell pepper, seeded, peeled and roasted

1 baked potato, peeled and diced

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

1 garlic clove, roasted and peeled

8 oz. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the bell pepper, potato, egg yolk, tomato puree and garlic in a food processor and blend. Add the salt and pepper. With the processor still running, slowly add the olive oil.

If you’re going to use Pacific Sun Gourmet Olive Oil -- and we hope you do -- we suggest you choose Eva’s Blend for the Herbs of Provence dip. Our Proprietor’s Select will work nicely for the spicy Rouille and the Tehama Blend will be perfect for the milder version.

Enjoy!

The Pacific Sun Olive Oil team,

Leslie, Brendon and Pablo