While most of the folks at the Jersey Shore were wilting under
miserably hot and humid temperatures this past Thursday, a fortunate few were
experiencing a fun, educational and tasty afternoon at the very cool (as well
as air-conditioned) Taste & Technique Cooking Studio in Fair Haven, where Sickles
Market’s Guest Chef Gioacchino Passalacqua and I taught a class on Green
Gold: The Fine Artisanal Olive Oils
of Italy and California. Chef Gioacchino is a passionate supporter of fine
artisanal Italian foods and had much to share with the class participants,
including how extra virgin olive oil is made, where it comes from and how to
properly taste it. I offered
everyone creative olive oil pairings with everything from orange marmalade with
sea salt and seven grain bread to olive oil drizzled over goat cheese and melted
Sicilian chocolate. The highlight
of the tasting was Chef Gioacchino’s preparation of organic, Slow Food lentils
from the tiny island of Ustica, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil. They surprised everyone with their
delicate yet distinct texture and incredible depth and richness.
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| Gioacchino preparing the lentils |
We ended the class with our “Bottle Shock II” Competition: A blind tasting between Aulente, a
lively Italian olive oil composed of three varietals, from the northern coast
of Sicily, and Talcott, a blend of olive oils from organic Tuscan olives
located in the Domaine Carnernos region of Napa, California. It was close, but Talcott won the
competition and I was all smiles, being a California girl myself! Talcott also received a SOFI Silver
Award at the Fancy Food Show this past spring, so you may want to come by the
store and ask for a tasting!
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| Cheri: California Girl holding the winning Talcott Oil! |
I have Chef Gioacchino’s lentil recipe for you below as well as a link to an
informative video from one of our favorite Italian olive oil companies, Merico,
giving us an insider’s view of the olive harvest. The family has been making olive oil at this small farm in
southern Puglia since the 1700’s, with olives from trees that are over 500
years old. If you missed our olive
oil class but would like to experience a class or a series centered on a
particular food, our own Bakery Manager, Chef Carol Maxwell will be featuring a
different fruit or vegetable each time in her Cooking Through the Seasons
Series. Tomatoes, blackberries, peaches,
and of course, New Jersey corn, are just some of the tempting classes on the
horizon.
Enjoy!
Cheri
Culinary Marketing Specialist
SICKLES
MARKET’S GUEST CHEF GIOACCHINO’S ITALIAN LENTILS
3 stalks celery, 3 carrots, 1 sweet onion, all
sliced thinly (this is called mirepoix)
¼ cup fine artisanal extra virgin olive oil
1 carton of Pacific Vegetable Broth (1 quart)
1 Bag of Lentils from Ustica, rinsed (available
at Sickles Market)
Sea Salt to taste and freshly ground Pepper
Simmering water in a separate pot
Sauté celery, carrots and onions in olive oil
until they are softened. Add
vegetable stock and rinsed lentils.
Bring to simmer and cook for about 20 minutes. Season with freshly ground pepper and sea salt to taste.
NOTE:
While cooking down, add hot water, a ladle at a time, if you need more
liquid to complete cooking.
thanks for sharing.
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