OLIVE U

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**Green Olive Tapenade**

This green olive tapenade is salty, briny, herby, and rich, with green olives, capers, anchovies, basil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, pine nuts, and olive oil. It takes only a few minutes, but the key is pulsing it correctly so it becomes a spread with texture, not a completely smooth paste (unless you enjoy olive baby food, but let’s not go there).

**Prep time:** 5 minutes
**Cook time:** 0 minutes
**Serves:** 8

**Ingredients**

2 cups pitted green olives, such as Castelvetrano, Cerignola, or Manzanilla
5–6 anchovy fillets
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 medium garlic clove
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, for serving

**How to make it**

Add the green olives, anchovy fillets, pine nuts, basil, parsley, drained capers, garlic, and lemon zest to a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times until everything is coarsely chopped and evenly mixed. Do not blend continuously yet, because you want to break everything down gradually and keep some texture.

Scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula so no big pieces of olive, garlic, or herbs stay stuck at the top. This small step helps the tapenade blend evenly instead of giving someone one random bite full of garlic (funny once, not funny twice).

Add the extra-virgin olive oil and kosher salt, then pulse again until the tapenade becomes spreadable. The texture should be thick and slightly rustic, not watery. If it looks too dry, add a little more olive oil, one spoonful at a time.

Taste before serving. Green olives, capers, and anchovies are already salty, so do not add extra salt too quickly. If the flavor feels too strong, a tiny bit more lemon zest or fresh herbs can brighten it without making it watery.

Spoon the tapenade into a bowl and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving if you have time. This helps the olive oil soften and lets the flavors blend together. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, a few extra pine nuts, fresh basil, and a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Serve with toasted baguette slices, crackers, crudités, grilled bread, sandwiches, roasted fish, chicken, or as part of an antipasto board.

**Important tips**

Use pitted olives to save time and protect your food processor blade.

Do not overblend; tapenade should have texture.

Drain the capers before adding them.

Taste before adding more salt.

Let it sit at room temperature before serving for the best flavor.

For a vegetarian version, leave out the anchovies and add a few extra capers.

**Nutrition per serving**

Calories: 231
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 25 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 973 mg

Would you serve this with toasted bread… or add it to sandwiches for extra flavor?

Sooooo good!

Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak with Blue Cheese Crust

Ingredients:

1½ lbs flank steak
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar

👌

**Cherry Tomato Eggplant and Burrata**

This is a simple summer appetizer with golden fried eggplant, sweet cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, and creamy burrata. The key is frying the eggplant until tender first, then cooking the tomatoes until they release their juices and become saucy.

**Prep time:** 5 minutes
**Cook time:** 35 minutes
**Total time:** 40 minutes
**Serves:** 4

**Ingredients**

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small eggplants, cut into 2-inch cubes
8 garlic cloves, sliced
2 lb cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup fresh basil, torn by hand
1/2 lb burrata
Crusty Italian bread, for serving

**Equipment**

Large skillet or sauté pan
Paper towel-lined plate
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Wooden spoon

**How to make it**

Start by cutting the eggplants into 2-inch cubes. Try to keep the pieces close in size so they cook evenly.

Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes. Slice the garlic cloves thinly. Tear the basil by hand and keep it aside for the end.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and let it warm until it shimmers slightly.

Add the eggplant cubes to the hot oil. Spread them out as much as possible so they fry instead of steaming. If your pan is not large enough, cook them in batches.

Fry the eggplant, turning the pieces often, until they are browned on all sides and soft when pierced with a fork. This can take several minutes, so do not rush it.

Once the eggplant is golden and tender, transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate. Blot gently to remove extra oil, then season with salt while it is still hot.

Leave about 1/4 cup of oil in the pan and carefully remove the rest. You need enough oil to flavor the tomatoes, but not so much that the dish becomes greasy.

Add the sliced garlic to the same pan over medium heat. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic turns golden and fragrant. Watch it closely because garlic can burn quickly.

Add the halved tomatoes and a pinch of salt. Stir them into the garlic oil.

Cook the tomatoes until they soften, collapse slightly, and release their juices. Stir every few minutes so they cook evenly and do not stick.

Return the fried eggplant to the pan. Gently mix it with the tomatoes so the eggplant gets coated in the garlicky tomato juices.

Let everything cook together for a few more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the flavors blend. Be gentle when stirring so the eggplant does not break down too much.

Taste and adjust with salt and black pepper.

Turn off the heat, then add the torn basil. Stir gently.

Spoon the warm eggplant and tomato mixture onto a serving platter.

Place the burrata on top. You can leave it whole and let people break into it at the table, or gently tear it open so the creamy center spreads over the vegetables.

Finish with a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil if needed.

Serve with crusty Italian bread while warm, or let it cool slightly and serve at room temperature.

**Important tips**

Use small eggplants if possible because they usually have fewer seeds and less bitterness.

Do not add the burrata while the pan is still on the heat. It should soften from the warmth of the vegetables, not melt completely.

If you do not have burrata, fresh mozzarella or scamorza can work too.

Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days and eaten cold or gently reheated.

**Nutrition per serving**

Calories: 428
Carbohydrates: 16.2 g
Protein: 13.3 g
Fat: 39.9 g
Fiber: 6.9 g
Sugar: 9.9 g
Sodium: 184 mg

Would you keep this as an appetizer, or turn it into a full meal with pasta?

Omg!

Mini Pizza with Brie, Cranberries & Toasted Walnuts with a Hot Honey Drizzle

Ingredients:

4 mini pizza crusts or naan rounds
2 tbsp olive oil (30 ml)
5 oz Brie cheese (140 g), sliced
¼ cup dried cranberries (30 g)

Enjoy the holiday! If you need us, visit our online store at oliveufishkill.com

🌽 Ingredients
8 whole ears of corn
1/2 C mayonnaise
10 Tbsp OliveU! Persian Lime EVOO
2 Tbsp OliveU! Hickory Smoked Balsamic
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 Cup finely chopped cilantro
3/4 Cup crumbled queso fresco cheese
1 tsp of chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions
Bend back corn husks and remove corn silk.
Soak corn in cold water for 20 minutes.
Make Magic Sauce while corn is soaking, by combining 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, 2 tbsp Balsamic, and 1 1/2 tbs garlic salt.
Prep grill. After 20 minute soak, drain the corn and sprinkle each cob with salt and drizzle 1 tbsp of Olive Oil over each cob, then re-wrap husks to protect corn from direct heat.
Grill corn for 20 minutes. For additional flavor, pull the husks back and grill the corn on direct heat. towards the end of cooking time. Remove husks and spread Magic Sauce on each cob. Lastly mix together queso fresco cheese, cilantro, chili powder and smoked paprika and put over each corn as the topping and garnish. Enjoy! 🥰