News

Father's Day

If you ever stop by the Auburn shop while the bottle sanitation is happening, you probably have seen my dad.  He will proudly say “I’m dad”.  He turned 86 this year and he comes in when ever his heart desires to wash and sanitize bottles for us.  He has a process and oh boy you do not try to step into his process without getting into trouble….just ask mom.

He says if you keep busy, it keeps you out of the nursing home.  I sure hope I have his aging genes.  On the other hand, I wish I had his work ethic.  I know I work hard, but dang at 86 will I be as hard of a worker that he is?  One could only hope!

Some of his parenting phrases:

Anything after midnight is no good!

Get your work done so then you can play the rest of the day!

Always let the girls go first through the food line, it is rude for a man to be first!

Laugh at yourself, no reason to be so serious!

I must of said something wrong (with a giggle, he doesn’t really care what you think)

Happy Father's Day Pappa!

Berry Basil Gin Fizz

Berry Basil Gin Fizz

2 fresh strawberries, halved

3 fresh raspberries

3 fresh blackberries

1 Tbsp wild raspberry balsamic

1 to 2 oz gin

Sparkling water to fill glass

In a tall glass muddle the berries with fresh basil leaves, add balsamic and gin and give a stir.  Pour over ice and add sparkling water to fill glass.  Garnish with fresh berries and basil.

Berry Cucumber Arugula Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

Berry Cucumber Arugula Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette

 4 cups of baby arugula

 2 cups mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries)

 1 medium-sized apple, cut into bite-size pieces

 ½ small cucumber, thinly sliced

 1/2 cup walnuts

 1/4 cup honey goat cheese

        In a large serving dish toss arugula, berries, cucumber, diced apples, walnuts and goat cheese.  Set                                        

        aside until ready to serve.

Strawberry Orange Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, cored and sliced in half

 1/4 cup strawberry balsamic vinegar

 1/2 cup orange olive oil

 2 tablespoons local honey

 1 tablespoon lemon balsamic

 1/2 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper

 3 Basil leaves, chopped, optional

Put all the ingedients for the salad in a large bowl, except for the basil.  Before serving, chop the basil and stir into the dressing.  Garnish with basil on top of the salad.

Lemon Zucchini Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Lemon Zucchini Salad with Grilled Shrimp

8 cups spiralized zucchini

1 Tbsp lemon olive oil

1 Tbsp fresh Tarragon, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh Parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper as needed

2 Grilled Lemon halves, optional

½ pound grilled shrimp

Clean zucchini and put through a spiralizer, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh tarragon.  Right before serving squeeze the grilled lemons on the salad and toss with grilled shrimp and serve.

Berry Balsamic Grilled Chicken

Berry Balsamic Grilled Chicken

For the marinade:

2 cups blueberries mashed

1 cup olive oil

1/2 cup blueberry balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons white sugar

2 tablespoons OT Manhattan Steak Rub seasoning

6 chicken breasts about 3 pounds total, I like to use thighs too!

For the glaze:

1/2 cup water cold

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup blueberry balsamic vinegar

1 cup blueberries

In a medium bowl, mash the 2 cups blueberries. Add to a large Ziplock bag, along with the olive oil, 1/2 cup blueberry balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and Manhattan Steak Rub seasoning. Add the chicken and shake it up so everything gets all mixed together.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24. Turn every couple hour.

Heat grill to medium heat.

Prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan combine cold water and cornstarch with a whisk. Turn the heat to medium. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and 1 cup blueberries. Mash the berries. Stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about 4 minutes. Set over low heat and stir occasionally to keep warm while you cook the chicken.

Grill the chicken for 3-5 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2-4 minutes or so. Use a meat thermometer and cook until internal temperature reads 175 degrees.

Serve the hot chicken with the warm glaze spooned over the top. Goes great with grilled corn on the cob!

SKILLET SKIRT STEAK FAJITAS

SKILLET SKIRT STEAK FAJITAS

2 1/2 pounds skirt steak

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons ancho chile powder

2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil,

divided

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

2 poblanos peppers, thinly sliced

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Trim the skirt steak of any excess fat (you should have about 2 pounds of cleaned steak). Cut

pieces in half if needed so they will fit inside the skillet. In a small bowl, stir together smoked paprika, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle

generously on all sides of the steak.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in the Deep Farmhouse Skillet until shimmering. Add steak, working in batches if necessary, and sear until medium rare, about 3-4 minutes on each side. (Note: make sure your hood vent / fan is turned on for this part! It can get quite smoky). Remove steak to a plate to rest.

Add remaining tablespoon oil to the skillet and stir in onion and peppers. Reduce heat to medium and toss to combine, cooking until lightly charred and softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Thinly slice steak against the grain into long strips. Nestle into the warm skillet next to the onions and peppers. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime generously over the top and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

In a small bowl, mash together 2 avocados with the juice of 1 lime and season with salt.

Serve fajitas with warm tortillas, Roasted Tomato Salsa, sour cream, queso fresco, and smashed avocado.

Preheat the broiler. Mix tomatoes, serrano, garlic, onion, salt, and oil together in a bowl. Transfer to the Deep Farmhouse Skillet or a foil-lined sheet pan.  Broil until onions and tomatoes are softened and blistered and charred around the edges, 7-10 minutes.

Remove and let cool enough to handle. Peel garlic and discard skin. Transfer everything to the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add lime and cilantro and process until smooth salsa consistency.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and lime juice.

Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week.

ROASTED TOMATO SALSA

12 flour tortillas, toasted for 30 seconds in a dry skillet

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup crumbled queso fresco

1 serrano pepper, thinly sliced

juice of 1 lime

2 avocados

TO SERVE

5 vine-ripe tomatoes, core removed, quartered

1 serrano pepper, stem trimmed

4 cloves garlic, skin-on

1/2 yellow onion, cut into large wedges

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

 2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro

STRAWBERRY, HIBISCUS & ALMOND SKILLET CAKE, by Smithey Cast Ironware

STRAWBERRY, HIBISCUS & ALMOND SKILLET CAKE, by Smithey Cast Ironware

1 CUP WATER

1/2 CUP DRIED HIBISCUS LEAVES

1 1/4 CUPS SUGAR

1/2 TEASPOON LEMON ZEST

3 LARGE EGGS, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1/4 TEASPOON FINE SEA SALT

1 TEASPOON VANILLA EXTRACT

1/2 TEASPOON ALMOND EXTRACT

10 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, MELTED AND COOLED

1 CUP ALMOND FLOUR

1 CUP ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

1/2 CUP QUARTERED STRAWBERRIES

1/4 CUP SLICED ALMONDS

1 TABLESPOON DEMERARA SUGAR

CONFECTIONERS’ SUGAR, TO SERVE

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Bring water to a boil in a small pot or kettle. Place hibiscus leaves in a medium heatproof bowl. Pour boiling water over the leaves and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve and allow to cool to room temperature. (Discard - or better yet save and drink the water, aka hibiscus tea!)

Combine sugar and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium speed for about 20 seconds, breaking up the zest so the sugar is very fragrant. Add

eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute between each one. After the final egg has been added, beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until mixture is light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and stir in extracts. Finally, stir in the cool melted butter and remove bowl from the mixer.

In a separate bowl, whisk together salt, almond flour and all-purpose flour, breaking up any lumps. Add drained hibiscus leaves and toss until coated with flour. Gently fold flour mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula, just until combined.

Coat a No. 10 Skillet with nonstick spray or a thin layer of softened butter. Pour batter into the skillet and gently press strawberries across the top. Sprinkle with

sliced almonds and demerara sugar.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through, about 50 minutes (a cake tester inserted into the center should come out clean). Transfer to a metal

rack and let cool completely before cutting. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Tariff Challenges Here Locally!

Tariff’s

We have been getting asked about our prices going up due to tariff’s.  We are committed to keep our prices of items in stock at the price we purchased them at before the tariffs were put in place.  We will only add the tariffs to our products as they are imposed on our new shipments coming in.  As you know so many of our ingredients are coming from the indigenist country in which it is grown.  The United States just doesn’t have the growing climate or the land available that is needed for the demand of our olive oil, tea, and coffee beans.  We do purchase from within the United States where we can, but we have to depend on other countries that have larger growing areas for the climate needed to grow and supply our demand here in the United States.  Let me explain our situation a little better!

Yes, we have been receiving emails daily updating us on products that are and are not going to be affected by tariffs.  We are monitoring these items closely and will mostly, no longer carry high tariff items if they are not continuing to be demanded by our customers.  We will not trade quality for something of less quality.  Our standards have to stay put, even if the prices increase.

We have a huge portion of our shop that has locally made items coming from people we know right here in Auburn, Fort Wayne and surrounding areas. We also purchase regionally from Ohio and Michigan.

Food ingredients is a different story.

Not all food ingredients that we all use every day can be grown in the US due to not having the proper growing conditions needed.

I know where all my herbs, spices, salts, peppers, olive oil olive come from and know the quality is there, over making a profit. We are not getting rich, but providing quality ingredients that our bodies need. Our business was started because of losing my sister Pam to cancer. Eating cleaner food became a priority to combat the cancer driven foods in our diets. This is the basis of our business.  We will go without before compromising our quality.

Peppercorns, cinnamon, vanilla beans, caca beans just to name a few that cannot be grown here in the US due to the growing conditions needed. So, I do believe there are some exceptions that need to be considered with tariffs to help not interfere with our food chain and inflation of prices.  Fact is we need food to survive!

Can you even start to imagine my mom not having cinnamon to make her famous cinnamon rolls, apple dumplings or cinnamon bread or my dad not having pepper on his steak? These would no longer be available to us if we didn’t purchase them from the indigenous country in which it is grown.

World trading started with things like salt and herbs and spices. Trading items not physically available in one part of the world to another.  I for one would love to get back to a friendly trade of what I can’t grow to be traded with you for something I can grow or make.  Keeping it friendly of course!

We would love to also challenge our customers to stop buying from large on-line websites, if America is going to be committed to seeing this through the buck stops here! Shop in your locally owned shops, farmer markets, and support the people you know personally! I strongly believe canceling the on-line accounts and go out shopping again is the best place to show support to America and keep the money in our community!

We thank our loyal customers and look forward to serving you as we maneuver these new obstacles throughout this year and beyond.

If you have further questions on how tariffs are impacting us here at The Olive Twist, please feel free to reach out to us and ask questions.  info@theolivetwist.com

Mediterranean Eggs Benedict

Mediterranean Eggs Benedict

Hash brown patty, recipe below

Sauteed spinach, recipe below

Goat Cheese, crumbled

Poached egg, recipe below

Tzatziki sauce, recipe below

Kalamata olives, seeds removed and sliced in half

OT Mediterranean Blend

Fresh dill

Crispy Hashbrowns

0.5 lbs. potatoes, clean and peel (skins can be left on)

1 tbsp flour

1 egg white

salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. OT Mediterranean Blend

Peel off skin from potatoes and grate the potatoes. Place the grated potatoes in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for about 5 minutes. Drain off water and dry the shredded potatoes using kitchen towel. In a mixing medium bowl, combine the grated potatoes, flour, egg whites, seasoning and salt and pepper. Fill a frying pan with about 1 Tbsp olive oil and heat on medium heat. Once oil is hot, spoon half of the grated potatoes and gently drop into the hot oil, forming a circular disk shape using the back of the spoon. Do the same with the other half of the potatoes. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove from oil and set aside on a baking sheet lined with paper towel.

Sautéed Spinach

2-3 cups fresh clean spinach leaves

2 Tbsp OT Butter Olive Oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Place olive oil in a small heated skillet (med heat) and add spinach, Sautee until the spinach is wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Roasted Onion and Bell Peppers

2 Bell Peppers, cleaned and cut in half, seed removed

2 Tbsp OT olive oil of choice

1 small onion, peeled and cut into 4ths

Place on a lined rimmed cooking sheet.  Toss with olive oil of choice, I like to use our Butter olive oil.  Salt and pepper as needed.  Lay peppers and onion in a single layer and place in 350-degree pre-heated oven.  Roast until peppers blister about 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and place a piece of foil over the top to sweet the peppers.  This usually takes about 15 minutes.  Remove the skins from the peppers and discard.  Slice into strips for serving .  Set peppers and onions aside.

Poached Eggs

2 fresh whole eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp OT white vinegar

To make poached eggs, boil about 2 inches of water in a saucepan. Add salt and vinegar. Lower heat and bring water to a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Create a whirlpool in the middle of the water in the saucepan by stirring it using a spoon. Quickly and gently transfer the egg from the bowl into the saucepan, placing the egg in the middle of the whirlpool. Let egg cook for about 3 minutes for a runny yolk. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove egg from water and place on a plate. Repeat steps with other egg.

Greek Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt (full-fat)

¾ cup cucumber, finely grated and drain off excess liquid

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1/2 tablespoon dried dill)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (OT Lemon balsamic can be used as a substitute)

1 tablespoon OT extra virgin olive oil of choice

1/2 teaspoon OT white vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Gently squeeze or press the cucumber to remove as much liquid as possible set aside to dry more.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, minced garlic, fresh dill, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, salt, and black pepper. Whisk the ingredients together until well-blended.  This can be made a day ahead.

Gently fold the grated cucumber into the yogurt mixture, ensuring it is evenly distributed throughout the sauce.

Assemble

Divide the hashbrowns into 4 servings.  Layer on each plate the hashbrowns, sauteed spinach, peppers and onions.  Place poached egg on top of hashbrown.  Sprinkle goat cheese and sliced olives over the egg and a dollop of the sauce.  Garnish with fresh dill.

Blackberry- Caprese Bites

      Blackberry- Caprese Bites

20 wooden skewers

20 fresh mozzarella balls

20 large fresh blackberries

1 tablespoon OT Blackberry Ginger Balsamic

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground 4-peppercorn

3 tablespoons olive oil of choice (we like to use a fresh Extra Virgin)

Garnish: fresh thyme leaves

For a twist you could add a slice of cucumber

To each skewer, add 1 mozzarella ball, 1 blackberry, place on serving tray and cover. Chill until ready to serve.

In The Olive Twist Mixing bottle pour together vinegar, thyme, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in olive oil, shake constantly, until fully incorporated.

Before serving, drizzle skewers with vinaigrette. Garnish with oregano, if desired.