Last week we made our amazing Kitchen Sink Focaccia (if you missed it, head over to the recipe and take a look - it’s delicious), and this week we need something to dip it in. 

Olive oil based dips are an easy crowd pleaser and can be whipped up on super short notice (not that anyone is entertaining right now, but that’s ok. You deserve an amazing olive oil dip on fresh bread right now, don’t you? Of course, you do).

Now dipping your bread in plain oil and balsamic is amazing, but why not spice it up a bit? And this recipe has lots of wiggle room, so you can swap in ingredients you have instead of running to the store. Everything is optional, with the exception of the olive oil. 

1 cup Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (this stuff goes fast, so pour generously)
Fresh garlic, 2 cloves minced (you can swap in 1-2 tablespoon of the jarred stuff if necessary)
Minced (fresh or dried) rosemary, 2 teaspoons
Minced (fresh or dried) thyme, 2 teaspoons
Capers, rinsed and drained, 2 tablespoons
Parmesan cheese, finely grated, to taste
Pinch of fine sea salt (consider a flavored salt for an extra layer of flavor)
Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Extras to consider
Chile flakes
Anchovy paste (or a single, small anchovy)
Truffle shavings

Make sure that everything is minced very fine. Mix garlic and capers together in a serving dish, then add the herbs, salt and pepper and any extras. Mix well. If you want to get fancy, form the resulting paste into a ball with a spoon or ice cream scoop.Pour Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil over herb mixture, then grate Parmesan over the entire thing. 

Serve with warm-from-the-oven focaccia bread (or any other bread or cracker works just fine too.)

Enjoy!

Going into another weekend and need another baking project? Look no further.

One of our all-time favorite brownie recipes is adapted from The New York Times Cooking section and is the perfect marriage of glorious olive oil and decadent chocolate. We swap coffee for water and add just a touch of espresso powder to really bring out the chocolate kick and to complement the subtle spiciness of the Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 

This is another great recipe to make as a family, and sure to become a favorite in your house too. We recommend using a high-quality sea salt, like you might find from Jacobson Salt Company or Pacific Flake Sea Salt. If you don’t have any laying around, don’t worry - regular sea salt will work just fine. 

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons of Grove 45 Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus additional to grease the pan)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon sea salt (plus additional for topping)
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of espresso powder
¼ cup hot (boiling) coffee
3 ounces melted unsweetened chocolate
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¾ cup dark brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
½ cup chocolate chips

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees, and grease an 8-by-8-inch square baking dish with additional olive oil. Line pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, espresso powder and hot coffee until smooth. Whisk in 6 tablespoons oil, melted chocolate, egg and vanilla.
4. Whisk in brown and granulated sugars, then fold in flour mixture, then chocolate chips. Scrape into prepared pan, and bake until set and firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Immediately sprinkle brownies with flaky salt while still warm, and let cool. Cut and serve.

Enjoy!

PS. Don’t forget to post pictures of your creation on Instagram and tag us @grove45evoo so we can share the love!

As our nation is still coming to grips with the COVID-19 crisis, many are finding themselves home and cooking more with their families. Cooking, baking and generally being in the kitchen are wonderful boredom busters that allow us a chance to escape for a little while. Eating also releases endorphins and endorphins make you happy. (If eating doesn’t make you happy, then, well, you might be beyond our help, sorry about that.) 

This is one of our favorite recipes, one the whole family can make and enjoy together: a citrus olive oil cake that can be whipped up in less than an hour with lots of flexibility. You prefer lemons over limes, or grapefruit over orange? Totally fine. Or even no citrus at all. Your kitchen, your rules. You could even divide the recipie between smaller pans or muffin tins and have multiple versions. 

We recommend using fresh, pasture-raised eggs and the freshest citrus possible, which will give the cake a bright and lovely tint. 

Grove 45 Citrus Olive Oil Cake

1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

5 large, pasture-raised eggs

2 teaspoons lemon zest (you can swap for limes, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, etc)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (same as above)

1/2 cup of Grove 45 olive oil

2 cups all-purose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Generously grease your chosen cake pan

3. Add eggs, sugar and zest together in the bowl of stand mixer, beat on low for about 8-10 minutes or until thick and pale.

4. Slowly add lemon juice, followed by olive oil, until fully combined.

5. In another bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder.

6. Slowly add dry ingredients until just combined - do not over mix!

7. Pour batter into pan.

8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

9. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack 

Serve with basil, vanilla or pistachio ice cream or optional glazes include powdered sugar, citrus zest or glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar combined with 3 tablespoons of fresh citrus juice).

Enjoy!