There are some times when you just have to thank your lucky stars for living the life you live. Last night I was privileged to attend a private tasting party at San Francisco’s Zare at Fly Trap. Hosted by Amy Sherman of Cooking with Amy, Chef Hoss Zare, and Star Fine Foods, we were given the opportunity to taste Star’s new line of oils, one of which is made exclusively from California olives. Chef Hoss Zare was the perfect host, presenting us with some of the finest dishes I have ever eaten, each featuring one of the special olive oils. Each course was served with a wine selected especially to complement it. What an amazing event!
The evening started with an amuse bouche of cucumbers cut to resemble linguine pasta that were dressed with crème fraîche, Star Mediterranean Extra Virgin Olive Oil and fresh dill. This was topped with lightly smoked fresh trout. It was delightfully fresh and refreshing, perfect for a summer evening.
The second course was one of Chef Zare’s specialties, grilled marinated sardines seasoned with harissa and served with chunks of heirloom tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, torpedo onion slices, garlic chips, and dressed with a black garlic vinaigrette featuring Star California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You know how much I love heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers together, so you can imagine how quickly I inhaled this plate, LOL.
The third course was an incredible Lamb Abgoosht, a dish of pulled lamb mixed with potatoes, tomatoes, smashed garbanzo beans, and roasted garlic. It was served with a turmeric-dried lime broth and fresh peas. It was topped with a slice of grilled French bread – a wonderfully crunchy counterpoint to the incredibly tender lamb and paired with Star Originale Pure Olive Oil.
And to finish our meal, a beautifully smooth and creamy buttermilk-vanilla bean panna cotta. It was topped with fresh red currants, sprinkled with black sea salt and a drizzle of Star California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The buttermilk lent the dish just a touch of sourness that offset the sweetness nicely. The tart berries burst in our mouths and the tiny flakes of salt enhanced each bite.
If you aren’t already using olive oil for everything, you should start today. Low in saturated fats with no cholesterol, carbohydrates or trans fats, it is one of the easiest ways to make our foods healthier. It is also gluten-free and high in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. There are many degrees of olive oil, from the first press, Extra Virgin, full flavored and deep green, to subsequent pressings which get lighter in flavor and color with each pressing, there is an olive oil for nearly every application. The only major drawback is its low smoke point which means that it isn’t the best option for high-heat frying.
Extra Virgin olive oil, often abbreviated EVOO in recipes, has the most distinct olive flavor and is the most expensive. Heat damages the delicate flavor so you want to use this for salad dressings, to drizzle over foods or for dipping bread. I always have at least two different types of olive oil in my cupboard – the lighter version is the one I cook with almost exclusively, and extra-virgin I reserve for uncooked foods.
It is very exciting to see Star Fine Foods, founded in San Francisco by the Guirlani family in 1898, announce the new Star California Extra Virgin Olive Oil! It is a blend of cold-pressed Arbequina, Arbosana and Koroneiki olives grown in the California Central Valley. With the strong affection for Mediterranean cuisine and products, the Bay Area is lucky to be the first place Star is previewing this oil. Arriving soon in local stores, it will be rolled out throughout the West this fall. Keep an eye out for it and ask your grocer to stock it. I think you will fall in love with its clean and fruity notes and its peppery finish. It will have a place of honor in our Italian household!
Thank you to Amy Sherman, the team from Star Fine Foods, and especially Chef Zare for hosting this wonderful event. The Artist was able to join me for part of it and he is already planning on a return visit to explore more of the fascinating, eclectic menu which Chef Zare describes as Mediterranean with a Persian influence. The next time you are in San Francisco, let me know. We will be happy to join you at Zare at Fly Trap anytime!
- 1/2 packed cup baby spinach leaves
- 1/2 packed cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
- 1-1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 2 small jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp finely grated orange zest
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a blender, pulse the spinach, parsley, paprika, cumin, cardamom, coriander, jalapeños, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, lemon juice and orange juice until the greens are chopped.
- With the machine on, add the oil and puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- This sauce is wonderful served as an accompaniment to roasted chicken, duck, or pork.
- Yield: 1 cup sauce
- 2 English cucumbers, peeled
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
- 8 oz smoked trout or any other smoked fish
- 2 tbsp creme fraiche, full fat Greek yogurt or unflavored yogurt
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 tsp trout roe or Tobiko caviar or minced red bell pepper for garnish (optional)
- Fresh dill sprigs, for garnish
- Extra virgin olive oil, to taste
- Cut the cucumbers lengthwise, discard the seeds and cut into slender linguini-style strips using a mandoline.
- In a medium bowl, mix cucumber, dill, smoked trout, creme fraiche, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among four serving bowls. Garnish each serving with 1 tsp roe (or bell peppers) and a sprig of dill.
- Drizzle each serving with a small amount of olive oil and serve.
- 1/2 packed cup basil leaves
- 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- In a food processor, combine the basil, asparagus, pine nuts, lemon juice and cheese; pulse until chopped. With the machine on, add the olive oil and process to a chunky puree. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Use as a dipping sauce, toss with pasta, or serve alongside grilled meats and poultry.
- Yield: 1 cup sauce
- Couscous Salad
- 2 cup couscous
- 4 cup water
- 1/4 cup harissa
- 1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh Dungeness crab meat
- 2 tbsp sumac or za’atar spice or 1 to 2 tsp of fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup diced sweet peppers
- 1 tsp serrano chili
- 1 large tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded and julienned
- 1 cup watercress
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 small shallots, minced
- 2 cups extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Couscous Salad: First prepare couscous by placing it in a large bowl. In a saucepot, add water, harissa, herbs, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add spiced boiling water to couscous and cover with saran wrap or a lid for 20 minutes. Use 2 forks to fluff couscous.
- Toss crab, sumac, peppers, chili, couscous and 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- In a separate large bowl, toss watercress and tomato with another 1/2 cup vinaigrette and season to taste.
- For the Vinaigrette: Place lemon juice, garlic, shallots and a pinch of salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. Add olive oil in a steady stream while whisking to emulsify vinaigrette. Finish seasoning with additional salt and pepper to taste.
- To Serve: Place 1/2 cup couscous in the center of each of four salad plates. Mound 1/4 of the watercress salad mixture on top of each couscous portion. Serve immediately.
Thank You!