Summer Is Even Tastier With Basil and Clementine Olive Oils

Toasted baguette topped with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of Enzo Organic Basil Crush.
Toasted baguette topped with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, basil, and a drizzle of Enzo Organic Basil Crush.

Summer’s tomatoes, green beans, squash, cucumbers and other bounty are so dazzlingly delicious at this time of year, they need little else to enjoy.

But one thing that will complement without overwhelming is a fine olive oil. Look no further than Enzo’s Organic Basil Crush and Organic Clemenine Crush.

The limited release olive oils are made by the Ricchiuti family, who have worked the land in California’s San Joaquin Valley for more than a century. Their olive oils, made with olives grown near Madera, have been a favorite of chefs such as Tyler Florence of San Francisco’s Wayfare Tavern, and Chef de Cuisine Ivan Marquez and Pastry Chef Jason Mattick of Los Angeles’ Broken Spanish. The olive oil line takes its name from the family’s great-grandfather.

Recently, I had a chance to sample those olive oils, in which the California mandarins and basil are actually milled together with estate grown organic olives, rather than just steeped in the oil after pressing.

You can really taste both the basil and the mandarins in each oil. They are not overtly intense in flavor, though, so that the lushness of the oil still shines through first and foremost.

The olives are grown just outside of Madera.
The olives are grown just outside of Madera.

The aroma of the clementine one is naturally citrusy sweet. The basil olive oil has a more peppery finish.

The basil oil is fabulous on anything from pasta to caprese salad to finishing roast chicken or grilled seafood. As for the clementine oil, I am dreaming about stirring some into cake or muffin batter, or drizzling it over vanilla ice cream with a shower of orange zest and a pinch of sea salt.

A 250 ml bottle of either is $17.99 and available on the Enzo web site, along with an array of other farm-made products, including balsamic vinegar, dried fruit, roasted nuts, jams, and jarred artichoke lemon pesto.

It’s a true taste of California farm-to-table.

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2 comments

  • The basil oil is a ‘Gold’ winner of the 2019 Calif State Fair. I sampled many of their scrumptious oils at the fair. Thanks for the reminder Food Gal!

  • Laurel: No wonder! That basil oil is divine. I have been using it on everything lately. 😉

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