I received a gift the other day from Susanne Reed, a sweet friend of our family who lives in Chattanooga, Tenn. Susanne is the General Manager of The Hamilton County Herald, a sister newspaper to The Daily Record in Chattanooga.
Chattanooga, the fourth-largest city in Tenn., is growing in leaps and bounds. In 2010, the census claimed there was a population of 167,674. Located just a few hours from Knoxville, it is a beautiful little town spread out in the valley between the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau; so mountains and ridges surround the city.
Susanne sent me three bottles of flavor-infused olive oils from “Olive Chattanooga.” Evidently there is one of those new-fangled Olive Oil Tasting Bars in Chattanooga! Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Tasting Bars are popping up at an amazing speed … they are by far, the hottest trend. So what is an Olive Oil Tasting Bar? It is a store that specializes in gourmet flavor-infused olive oils and fine balsamic vinegars.
These tasting bars offer high quality, imported olive oils and perfectly aged balsamic vinegars infused with herbs, citrus, berries, chocolate, mushrooms and fruits. Enjoy a taste of fresh, no preservatives, and antioxidant-loaded olive oil. Tasting the naturally flavored balsamic vinegars is like a visit to a candy store for grown-ups! If you have not tried one yet – my recommendation is to do so. It is a totally new experience!
Here are just a few of the wonderful oils you can taste at one of the tasting bars:
Cilantro and Roasted
Onion Olive Oil
The robust flavor of cilantro is balanced with the sweet taste of roasted onion. Perfect for Thai, and Hispanic dishes. Great with sourdough bread. Pair with White Balsamic Vinegar for a sizzling grilling taste.
Chipotle Olive Oil
The smoky flavor of chipotle is great for marinating steaks and brushing on grilled chicken, seafood or steak. Drizzle over grilled vegetables or pizza for a spicy meal. Excellent dipping oil for artisan breads, finishing oil for soups, pasta or grain dishes and a wonderful base for dressings and marinades. Try pairing with Fig Balsamic!
Baklouti Green Chili Olive Oil
From the Barbary Coast of North Africa, this Tunisia Baklouti pepper is rare and unique to this region. Combining olive oil with fresh, green Baklouti chilies makes Baklouti Chili olive oil. Baklouti adds a new and surprising dimension to salsas. CAUTION! VERY HOT!
Butter Olive Oil
The flavor of sweet cream butter with the heart-healthy benefits of olive oil. Perfect for any dish that needs the rich flavor of churned butter.
Blood Orange Olive Oil
Whole Blood Oranges and fresh, ripe olives crushed together creating a delicious citrus olive oil. It can be used on fish, shellfish, chicken, duck, and summer salads.
Persian Lime Olive Oil
The taste of sweet, ripe Persian Limes married with our premium extra virgin olive oil make for an unbelievably fresh, fragrant citrus olive oil.
Lavender-Rosemary
Organic lavender and rosemary are infused into extra virgin olive oil for months to produce this wonderful herbal oil. Lavender and rosemary pair well together flavor-wise and have a ton of medicinal properties.
Rosemary aids digestion, is immune boosting, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory, improves circulation, and has anti-aging properties. Lavender is calming, stress relieving and has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
Black or White Truffle
Truffle Oil gets its flavor from the essence of truffles, a member of the fungi family. Since Truffles are difficult to find and impossible to cultivate, they are only available during certain times of the year; however, the luxurious flavor of White Truffle Oil or the earthy flavor of Black Truffle Oil can be found year around in these infused olive oils.
Cranberry-Orange
Olive Oil Cake
Position a rack in the middle of the oven, remove any racks above, and crank up the heat to 350 degrees (175°C). Coat a Bundt or tube pan with 1-tablespoon whole blood orange olive oil and set aside.
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice
(about 4-5 large navel oranges)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt
5 large eggs
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon Whole Fruit Blood Orange Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup confectioners sugar
Zest 2 of the oranges; squeeze the juice from 4 of them. You need 1-1/2 cups and 1 reserved tablespoon of orange juice of juice; if not, squeeze the 5th orange. Set aside.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
In large bowl, beat eggs on medium-high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the granulated sugar and continue beating until thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. On low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and blood orange extra virgin olive oil, starting and ending with the flour, and beat until just a few wisps of flour remain. Pour in the orange juice, zest and dried cranberries and briefly mix batter together.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake about 1 1/4 hours, or until cake tester has just a few crumbs clinging to it. If the top is browning too much as the cake bakes, set a piece of foil over it
Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes and then turn the cake out on to a rack over a sheet pan.
Mix together the 1-tablespoon of reserved orange juice with confectioners sugar to form a glaze. Pour slowly and evenly over the warm cake. Serve at room temperature.