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Preserving San Marzano Tomatoes

August 11, 2015 by Mary Knight

San Marzano Italian Plum tomatoes are taking over my garden. This bumper crop has inspired me to find creative ways to make them last. After perusing ideas from fellow food lovers and mostly following my gut instinct, the creative juices started to flow. I sorted through the tomatoes and set aside the larger ones for sauce and the smaller ones I designated to dry as in sun dried tomatoes.

Olive oiled,  salt kissed and ready for the oven.
Olive oiled, salt kissed and ready for the oven.

This recipe is easy and the rewards great. The small bite size tidbits are perfect as an appetizer, a salad addition, in pasta or sprinkled over grilled chicken. Warning. After you pull them out of the oven and set them on the stove to cool, you and your family will be tempted to pop them in your mouth as you pass by. This is how my first batch evaporated when my niece first tasted them!

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise. Arrange on a parchment lined sheet tray.

Drizzle generously with Basil or Bel Tocco Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and place in the oven for about 2 hours. They will shrink to about half their size. Just to spice things up, after the 2 hours, I sprinkled them with finely chopped garlic, optional, and returned them to the oven for another 1/2 hour. If you add the garlic in the beginning, it will get too brown and a bitter taste will result. Cool and store in a tightly sealed container.

The finished product.
The finished product.

I made these last week to take to a paella party as an appetizer and they were a big hit.

Healthy party snacks!
Healthy party snacks!

Filed Under: Appetizers/Antipasto, Recipes, Salads, The Virtuous Olive Blog, Vegetables Tagged With: Basil extra virgin olive oil, Bel Tocco extra virgin olive oil, Galantino extra virgin olive oil, Gluten-free, San Marzano tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Minty Green Bean Salad with Walnuts and Feta

June 11, 2015 by Mary Knight

IMG_4398

My good friend Eva devised this delicious salad using the Mint Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  It’s delicious!

Minty Green Bean Salad with Walnuts and Feta

Ingredients

2 lbs. green beans, stemmed

3/4 cup toasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2/3 cup red onion, chopped

Minty Vinaigrette 

3/4 cup Galantino Olia di Oliva e Menta

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, coarse chopped

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

¾ t. kosher salt or to taste

¼ t. fresh ground pepper

Instructions

To prepare the mint vinaigrette: 

  • Add the salad dressing ingredients to a food processor and blend. (Keep sealed in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.)

To prepare the Salad: 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Cook for 3 to 3 minutes, al dente
  • Plunge beans into an ice water bath to halt the cooking and when cool drain and pat dry.  Wrap in paper/dish towel, then into plastic bag if preparing in advance.  Can be prepared early in the day for use later.
  • To serve, lay green beans on a platter, scatter with the cheese, the onion, and the walnuts.  Drizzle with the vinaigrette and keep the bottle of Olio de Oli a e Menta for drizzling.
  • Great summer side dish to any grilled meats or fish.

Filed Under: Featured Recipe, Recipes, Salads, Vegetables Tagged With: Green Beans, Mint Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salad

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