Olive Oil Immersive

When a fat is delicious and nutritious...

Not surprisingly, I self-identify as a food nerd. It began long before culinary school and continues years after field related graduate work. Always on the lookout for learning opportunities, I recently lucked into a virtual olive oil presentation, complete with a guided tasting. Hosted by an enterprising California olive oil producer, sampling kits were provided to early entrants. The more the merrier as they say, so my foodie minded neighbors and I gathered around their kitchen table with anticipation.

Olive oil has long been touted as one of the healthier fats, containing polyphenols, anti-inflammatory properties, squalene and vitamin E. Current research indicates that one should consume two to three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil per day to reap its health benefits.

However, there is more to the story, as not all olive oil is created equal. Quality extra virgin olive oil is quite simply the juice of olives harvested directly from the tree’s branches (not picked off the of ground). It is one hundred percent natural and does not require refinement methods utilizing chemicals or high temperatures. These methods deplete olive oil of its health benefits. Bottles labeled anything other than extra virgin olive oil are blends, perhaps requiring less desirable processing methods to become food safe. When considering which bottle to purchase, be leery of those without a production date, do select one produced within twelve to fourteen months.

In addition to harvest and production methods the speaker shared some other interesting and helpful factoids. Color is apparently not a reliable indicator of the oil’s quality or taste as it turns out. Further, EVOO is appropriate for higher temperature cooking methods than originally thought, as it is an extremely stable oil. Blended oil, a mix of canola and olive oil, has long been a restaurant industry standard, partly for cost effectiveness and in part because of the olive oil smoke point argument. Rather than different varieties, green and black olives come from the same tree and are simply harvested at different times. While it felt a little unusual to be glugging olive oil on a snowy afternoon, more than 900 people were doing likewise.

After this olive oil immersive, of course I needed to make something featuring the byproduct of one of my most favorite fruits. I landed on a light, citrus laced cake using EVOO as the primary fat. Simple to pull together, the cake with its lemon and orange notes is positively cheerful after what seems like weeks of snow with a side of power outages. Top with some zest infused whipped cream or crème fraîche ...everything will feel a bit brighter.

Note: I am lucky to have a few young people in my small circle of friends. One such young friend is studying at the masters level in Beirut, Lebanon. Imagine my surprise when at Christmas time, she presented me with a large, unlabeled bottle of the most gorgeous olive oil I have ever seen or tasted! Doing my best to make it last, it is used ever so sparingly. This cake absolutely met the secret stash threshold.

Olive Oil Cake with Sumo Orange and Lemon

2 C All purpose flour, unbleached

1/2 t Sea salt

1 t Baking powder

½ t Baking soda

3 Large eggs

1 C Sugar

3/4 C Extra virgin olive oil

¾ C Whole milk

2 T Orange juice, freshly squeezed, preferably Sumo

2 t Orange zest, preferably Sumo

1 t Lemon zest

1 t Vanilla

Set your oven to 350°. Butter and parchment a nine inch round cake pan. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl, then stir in salt. Rub sugar and zest together in another bowl, add eggs, mixing until well incorporated and pale. Slowly whisk in the olive oil, mixing until smooth. Stir in orange juice, vanilla and milk, combine. Add flour a third at a time, gently folding it in until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing as necessary. The cake should bake in about 35 minutes or so. It will begin to turn golden, pull away from the side of the pan and is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for fifteen minutes, then release the cake from the pan and cool completely.