Simple Squash Fritters

Here's a simple and delicious way to use the Zucchini picked fresh from your garden. Squash Fritters are perfect when served as a hot side dish or for a simple lunch dish with a salad.

Hope you enjoy - Olivia

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep: Easy Stove Top Cooking

INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups grated zucchini (from about 3 medium zucchini)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2/3 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• Salt and black pepper
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Copper Hill Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredient except the olive oil.
2. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a 12-to-14 inch nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, drop ¼ cupfuls of the batter into the pan, spacing the batter a couple of inches apart. Fry 3 or 4 fritters at a time. When the fritters begin to brown along the edges, carefully flip them over with a spatula and brown the other side. Transfer them to a dish as you make them and keep them warm in a 200°F oven.
3. Serve hot.

What's New and Beneficial about Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The quality of olive oil production—especially the stage of pressing—really does make a difference when it comes to health benefits. Recent studies have compared the anti-inflammatory benefits of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) obtained from the first pressing of the oil to the anti-inflammatory benefits of virgin olive oils (non-EVOO) obtained from later pressings. What researchers found was an ability of EVOO to lower inflammatory markers in the blood when non-EVOOs were unable to do so. (Study measurements included blood levels of thromboxane A2, or TXA2, and leukotriene B2, or LBT2.) This ability of extra virgin olive oil to help protect against unwanted inflammation is not surprising, since EVOO is known to contain stronger concentrations of phytonutrients (especially polyphenols) that have well-known anti-inflammatory properties.

Mediterranean Diet studies have long associated olive oil intake with decreased risk of heart disease. However, a recent group of studies has provided us with a fascinating explanation of olive oil's cardioprotective effect. One of the key polyphenols in olive oil—hydroxytyrosol (HT)—helps protect the cells that line our blood vessels from being damaged by overly reactive oxygen molecules. HT helps protect the blood vessel cells by triggering changes at a genetic level. The genetic changes triggered by HT help the blood vessel cells to enhance their antioxidant defense system. In other words, olive oil supports our blood vessels not only by providing antioxidants like like vitamin E and beta-carotene. Olive oil also provides our blood vessels with unique molecules like HT that actually work at a genetic level to help the cellular walls of the blood vessels remain strong.

Olive oil has long been recognized for its unusual fat content. This plant oil is one of the few widely used culinary oils that contains about 75% of its fat in the form of oleic acid (a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid). In terms of monounsaturated fat, the closest common culinary oil to olive is canola oil, with about 60% of its fat coming in monounsaturated form. By contrast, the fat in soybean oil in only 50-55% monounsaturated; in corn oil, it's about 60%; in sunflower oil, about 20%; and in
safflower oil, only 15%. When diets low in monounsaturated fat are altered to increase the monounsaturated fat content (by replacing other oils with olive oil), research study participants tend to experience a significant decrease in their total blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and LDL:HDL ratio.

Recent research studies have taken these heart-healthy effects of olive oil one step further. Olive oil's monounsaturated fat content (specifically, its high level of oleic acid) has now been determined to be a mechanism linking olive oil intake to decreased blood pressure. Researchers believe that the plentiful amount of oleic acid in olive oil gets absorbed into the body, finds its way into cell membranes, changes signaling patterns at a cell membrane level (specifically, altering G-protein associated cascades) and thereby lowers blood pressure. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the monounsaturated fat content of olive oil has been linked not only to cholesterol
reduction, but also to reduction of blood pressure. To be continued...

To learn more about Copper Hill Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Balsamic Fruit Blends visit the Copper Hill website.

Farmer's Market Fun

The Saturday Farmer's Market is a weekend ritual in our household and many other households across the nation. There is something to be said about getting up to shop around the freshest produce your region has to offer. Lucky for us, Northern California offers a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in versatility and seasonality.

After arriving home, there is nothing I enjoy more than preparing a big lunch combining our yummy Farmer's Market finds with some of the best Copper Hill pantry essentials. For this particular market visit I decided to make a fresh basil pesto, a simple green salad, and sourdough bread served alongside a refreshing glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

I am a firm believer that cooking should be easy and delicious and in this case, the entire lunch took 30-45 minutes tops! Each dish I made used Copper Hill oils in different ways providing unique flavor profiles. Copper Hill's Frantoio was used in the salad dressing and the pesto. Copper Hill's Meyer Lemon extra virgin olive oil was used as a finishing oil atop the pasta and drizzled on the lightly toasted bread with sprinkled sea salt.

Saturday Farmer's Market Menu:

Pesto: Makes 4 Servings

- 3/4- bunch basil leaves

- 3 cloves garlic(I used 1 bulb of green garlic because it was fresh and available at the farmer's market)

- 3-4 pinches of salt

- 1/4 cup- Copper Hill Frantoio extra virgin olive oil (possibly more as you begin to blend all the ingredients in a food processor)

- 1/4 cup Parmesan Reggiano and more for serving

- 8-10 almonds (most pesto recipes call for pine nuts, however due to the high price of pine nuts, I opted for almonds and found the taste equally pleasant. You can also do without nuts all together.)

- 1/2 tablespoon- Copper Hill Meyer Lemon extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on top finished dish

- 1lb- Spaghetti

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti to the boiling water and cook according to directions on the package. Meanwhile, in a food processor,  add basil, cheese, oil, salt and nuts and blend until a smooth texture(almost like a paste or pate) is formed. Drain pasta, add pesto, and mix in a heated saute pan until warm and blended. Serve with additional fresh basil, Meyer Lemon oil drizzled on top, and grated Parmesan.

Fresh Green Salad: Serves 4

- 1 bunch Farmer's Market greens-rinsed and dried

- 1-Farmer's Market avocado

- 3-tablespoons Copper Hill Frantoio extra virgin olive oil

- 1/2-lemon, fresh squeezed juice

- 1 teaspoon- Dijon mustard

- Salt/pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt/pepper. Pour dressing over lettuce and avocado. Toss salad until dressing is evenly dispersed. Add additional salt/pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Easy Breezy Sourdough Toast: Serves 4

- 4-6 slices sourdough bread(we used bread from the farmer's market)

- Copper Hill Meyer Lemon olive oil 

- Salt

Preheat broiler to high. Line a cookie sheet with foil, place sliced sourdough onto prepared cookie sheet. Drizzle each slice with meyer lemon oil, sprinkle with sea salt and broil for 1-2minutes(be sure to keep an eye on the toast as the broiler works fast!)

For the perfect pairing, serve with a chilled glass of your preferred white wine or a sparkling non-alcoholic beverage of your choice.

Cheers and Enjoy!

How to use Copper Hill’s Meyer Lemon Olive Oil

The folks at Copper Hill created their unique, award winning citrus olive oil blend by combining the bright flavor of California Meyer Lemons with buttery Arbequina olives.  The two fruits are crushed together for a perfect harmony of flavors that are useful any time the rich taste of olive oil and the sweet tang of lemon would compliment a recipe.

Veggies: A natural match, whether drizzled on after steaming, brushed on after roasting or grilling, or drizzled on at the last minute of a saute. Consider greens, asparagus, eggplant, sweet bell peppers, and squash with that hint of fresh lemon.

Seafood: Another great match, whether a rich or mild fish, shrimp, crab or scallops. Olive oil serves as the basting base for lemon which is a natural paring with seafood.

Poultry: Chicken and lemon go well together, use the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil as a base for a marinade. Simply brush it on with salt and pepper before baking or as a glaze after baking.

Salad: Many dressings benefit from a bit of lemon juice, so next time you make your vinaigrette, use our lemon oil blend and the flavor is already there.

Pasta: Instead of regular olive oil, for a change use Copper Hill’s Meyer Lemon Olive Oil blend to drizzle your pasta. Add sausage, onions, veggies, and grated cheese to make a delicious meal.

Bread: Copper Hill’s Meyer Lemon Olive Oil is a fresh change from regular dipping olive oil. With a hint of cracked pepper and a bit of garlic or herbs, your fresh artisan bread will sing with flavor.

We welcome your comments and invite you to try our citrus olive oil blends, and share you thoughts and recipe ideas. Also, try Copper Hill's new Satsuma Mandarin Olive Oil blend.

Family Favorite - Parsley Chili Pasta

This recipe has been with our family, quite possibly since the beginning of time and still manages to be a crowd-pleasing favorite. It is hard to believe that something so easy with so few ingredients can taste so good, but believe us when we say…it does!

SERVES: 4
PREP TIME: 10-15min
COOK TIME: 15-20miN

INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb. (1package, 16oz) of Spaghetti
- 4-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 teaspoons dried chili flakes (add more for additional spice)
- 3/4 Cup chopped parsley
- 3 Tablespoons Copper Hill Frontoia extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt & Pepper to taste
- Parmesan (Suggest: Parmesan Reggiano)

PREPERATION:
Cook Spaghetti according to package instructions.

In a large skillet heat and add Copper Hill Frantoio extra virgin olive oil. Add chili flakes and allow them to toast in the oil for about 30 seconds. Then add minced garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add chopped parsley and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Drain pasta in strainer and add to the olive oil mixture. Toss, add salt and pepper to taste, and top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Photo Source: The Fresh Fridge

Swap Butter or Margarine for Healthy Olive Oil

Did you know that olive oil can be used as a substitute for butter or margarine on or in nearly anything? Some olive oil lovers even use it on pancakes and waffles.

Use this handy conversion table (above) for the approximate replacement amounts.

Please let us know what you think.

Delicious Summer Salad: Roasted Cauliflower Salad With Olives And Capers

 

This unique recipe for a delicious healthy salad came to us from Gina Marie (So... Let's Hang Out Blog), a well read, self taught chef and avid recipe creator / tester extraordinaire.

Please let us know what you think about Gina's creation. Enjoy. 

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets

- 4 tbs Copper Hill's Koroneiki Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 2 tbs capers
- 15 kalamata olives, diced
- 1/3 cup diced green onions
- Juice from 1 meyer lemon
- Spring mix
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to top

PREPARATION
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Remove the stem from your cauliflower and chop up into florets.
4. Mince your garlic and add into a medium sized mixing bowl with your cauliflower florets.
5. Add in two tablespoons of your olive oil and massage with mixture
with your hands until the cauliflower is completely coated and the garlic is
also distributed evenly throughout.
6. Lay the cauliflower out flat onto your aluminum foil lined baking sheet,
and pop into the oven for 10 minutes. Once ten minutes has gone by, remove the cauliflower from the oven and flip each piece. Put the pan back into the oven for 10-15 minutes or until your cauliflower is fork tender and lightly golden brown on the edges.
7. While your cauliflower is baking, prepare your other ingredients. Chop up your olives and your green onions, juice your lemon, and measure our your capers.
8. When the cauliflower is cool enough to handle, put it back into your mixing bowl with your other ingredients and using your hands mix together. Top with the remaining 2 tbs of olive oil and mix again.
9. Serve over a bed of spring mix and top with freshly cracked pepper.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy: Gina Marie - So Let's Hang Out Blog