Please help me enjoy my spendy olive oil!

[dearamy]

DH & I had a little wine country getaway last weekend, which was fabulous. One small winery we visited also makes olive oil from the more than 600 olive trees on their property. I didn't love their wine, but wanted to buy something (I have a hard time walking away after tasting & chatting with the winemakers). I innocently picked up a bottle of the oil & headed to the register, where I was charged $42 for a smallish bottle :eek: I spent the rest of the afternoon trying to convince DH that $42 for olive oil isn't all that big a deal. Inside, I'm thinking, holy camoly! That's some spendy oil!

What recipes do you have that would really highlight a delicious, good quality olive oil? I have a spaghetti with clams recipe that I plan to make, but need some mroe ideas.

Thanks!

[tbb113]

At that price, I think I would just use it to dip bread into with some basalmic vinegar. That way the taste of the olive oil would shine.

[funniegrrl]

That's what I was thinking -- some really outstanding bread, maybe a few herbs.

[Wendy w]

I posted this on the recent bread dipping thread. Enjoy your pricey olive oil.


This was posted a long time ago by Goldilocks and is amazing. I made it along with a rosemary bread by RunnerKim. The two together are fabulous.

Dipping Oil
PREP TIME: About 10 minutes
MAKES: 13/4 cups
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
11/2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 to 5 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or minced
Crusty bread
1. In a jar with a lid, combine oil, vinegar, cheese, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Stir, or cover and shake. Use, or cover and chill up to 1 month (bring to room temperature to serve).
2. Mix oil to blend seasonings, and pour into small, shallow bowls or rimmed plates. Slice or tear bread into pieces and dip into oil to eat.