When it comes to fancy schmancy dinners or get-togethers with friends that somehow always seem to center around food, all too often the appetizer and dessert courses are my favorites. Light bites before dinner take the edge off my hunger and frequently steal the show for me! I’m not sure how many times I’ve ended up full on appetizers before it was time for the main course!
A few weeks ago, Oliviers & Co. reached out to me about hosting a giveaway and offered to send me some of their naturally flavored specialty oils, vinegars, condiments and Mediterranean-themed goodies. I knew immediately that I wanted to try their high-quality olive oil (both flavored – like the lemon and olive oil or chili pepper olive oil – and original) and marinated olives, but I couldn’t resist sampling some of their spreads as well.
The process behind the creation of Oliviers & Co. olive oils is quite extensive. Olives must be hand-harvested when still green and olives of different origins are never pressed together, which would result in sub-standard oil. I was a little skeptical but I can honestly say I tasted a difference! Their olive oils were smoother, less acidic and tastier than the olive oil I typically buy at the grocery store.
In the end, I used the goodies I received to create a hodgepodge of appetizers that became dinner for me and Ryan on Tuesday night!
Hey, you won’t ever hear me complain about big ol’ snack plates or hors d’oeuvres for dinner! Oh, and one dessert popped up, too, because you know I can’t neglect my sweet tooth.
Here’s a roundup of what we enjoyed:
- Basil Pesto and Italian Cheese Crostini
Oh my gosh this appetizer was so darn delicious. Ryan had the idea to make little toast “pizzas” with the pesto. They were super easy to make and came together in a flash. After toasting sour dough baguette slices under the broiler, we topped them with a spread of basil and parmesan pesto and a sprinkling of shredded Italian cheeses before placing them back in the oven until the cheese started to melt. Simple, right!?
- Taggisaca Olives Feta and Tomato Salad
This salad is a dish I enjoyed at a college girlfriends’ apartment one time that totally stuck with me. She assured me it was crazy-simple to prepare and since I had some incredibly fragrant marinated Taggisaca black olives begging to be enjoyed, I combined them with fresh tomatoes and feta cheese for a simple salad that Ryan and I ate both on its own. (Watch out for the pits!) The lemon peel and chili used in the olive marinade made the flavors in this salad pop!
- Fig and Melon Goat Cheese Dip with Grissini Breadsticks
Sweet and savory! The best of both worlds. To make this dip, I combined the Oliviers & Co. fig and melon spread with creamy goat cheese and used Grissini (savory Italian breadsticks from Liguria, Italy that are made from both wheat and corn flour and olive oil) for dipping. (The Grissini I used appear to be sold out, but I think the sweet olive oil crackers would be great with this, too!) Yum!
- Olive Oil with Fresh Bread
A classic and with good reason! We dipped fresh bread into the olive & basil oil and the everyday olive oil and were instantly reminded why this simple appetizer is always a favorite. The basil olive oil was my favorite but I also enjoyed the light and slight lemony flavor of the everyday olive oil as well!
- Vanilla Ice Cream with Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar
The combination of rich, creamy ice cream with a tangy balsamic strawberries made this the perfect way to wrap up the day! Ryan was skeptical about the balsamic flavor with ice cream at first, but commented on the way it complimented the fresh berries and ice cream. (I followed a recipe from Ina Garten for this dish!)
Are you drooling yet!? I hope so because here is your chance to make some delicious appetizers and have some fun in the kitchen with Oliviers & Co.
Giveaway
One PBF reader will win $300 of Oliviers & Co. product (of your choice!). To enter this giveaway, simply click here, join the mailing list, browse the site and leave a comment below telling me what product(s) you’d most like to try! (Anyone who enters the giveaway will also receive 10 percent off their purchase!) I will randomly select a winner on Thursday, September 18. Please note that this giveaway is open to US readers only and you must have a US shipping address and valid email address to win.
Good luck!
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I would love to try all of it esp the ginger garlic marinade! Yum!
I love the looks of their olive oil & vinegar sets – especially the pomegranate one!
I would love to try the olive oils, but honestly the skin care products are calling my name! I am really intrigued in the organic foaming jelly.
My husband and I recently went to Greece for our honeymoon and we kept saying on the trip “We need to get some GOOD olive oil!”. We’d love to try some of their different olive oils!
Pecorino Romano and Truffle Cream… yum!
The white balsamic looks amazing!!
I would try ALL of the Tapenades first! Then the olives, oils and pestos!
The pestos and and the zucchini and goat cheese spread look amazing. I’d love to try it all!
I would love to try the black olive and tomato tapenade!
I just want to try the Everyday Oil and the Truffle Salt!
I just want to try the Everyday Oil and the Truffle Salt!
the olive oil face cream and olive oil with lemon oil sound amazing! i would love to try!
the olive oil face cream and olive oil with lemon oil sound amazing! i would love to try!
One of my favorite things to make is Parmesan Truffle Popcorn. I’d love to make it using their PARMIGIANO REGGIANO AND TRUFFLE CREAM!
I would love the basil oil and oregano vinegar set.
so many delicious things to try. My top three would be: Pesto Alla Genovese, lemon oil & fig mini-melo, and tangerine and chili jam!
Omg yum! The fig balsamic vinegar, the artichoke & green olive delice, & pretty much allll the olive oils sound amazing
Wow! Great recipes! I would love to try any of their products, it would be hard to choose!
Wow, your recipes look delicious!
I would try so many things, can’t decide.
I’m in – thanks! I would love to try the potato chip sampler, the wheat crackers and the mini crostinis – as you can tell I’m in “munchie” mode……
I want to try one of their chili jams and put it with grilled cheese sandwiches!
The olive oil with chili pepper, wow! The Pesto too. It’s so hard to pick one.
I would really love to try the Mandarin Oil & Pomegranate Meli Melo.
I love anything balsamic so I would love to try some of those flavored ones! I bet the one with vanilla would be awesome on berries or with fresh whipped cream!
I would most like to try Fig Balsamic Vinegar! I have just discovered a love for figs, and I love dipping in balsamic, so this seems like the perfect combo.
Oh, I am very big Pesto Fan! This PESTO ALLA GENOVESE – BASIL & PARMESAN sounds absolutely, delicious!
adult snacks are our favorite dinners!
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I’d love to try the Pesto sauce!
Green olive and anchovy tapenade! Wow!!
Figs are my favorite fruit, so that fruit spread sounds amazing! (I signed up under a.smith012@yahoo.com)
I’ve always wanted to try the chili pepper olive oil. I think it would be amazing!
I would love to try the aged apple balsamic or the cherry and chipotle barbecue sauce! Both sound drool-worthy
Um, ALL OF IT? Everything looks SO amazing. I love all of the spreads. Savory and sweet combined?! Sign me up. Pair that with creamy goat cheese onto a cracker and call it a day.
$300 and sure get you a lot! I gravitated right to their gifts section. I think my favorites to choose would be the Table Cruet and Taste of Italy. They would make great gifts!
Basil red wine vinegar sounds delicious!
can i have it all?!
The green olive balsamic sounds intriguing!
I would try the taglioni with Truffle!
Ok so am I super gross to want to try the green olive & anchovy tapenade? haha (although it all sounds delicious!
Could not pick just one! Everything looks soooo good! I would try the:
OLIVE & BASIL OIL
GREEN OLIVE BALSAMIC
ZUCCHINI & GOAT CHEESE DELICEESTO
ALLA GENOVESE – BASIL & PARMESAN
RED CHILI PENNE
I want to try all of the pestos!
I would love to try the:
OLIVE & BASIL OIL
GREEN OLIVE BALSAMIC
ZUCCHINI & GOAT CHEESE DELICEESTO
ALLA GENOVESE – BASIL & PARMESAN
RED CHILI PENNE
I am in college now and hardly have the money to pay for healthy food! I love cooking with olive oil and my mother loves to incorporate Turkish cooking (olives + oil + cheese). I would love to see what I can make of these Julie!!! 😉
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The basil olive oil on fresh tomatoes sounds delicious!!!
I would absolutely go for the garlic or basil olive oils. They would be delicious just dunking a baguette into or tossing with some pasta!
My fig and balsamic loving self would love nothing more than a bottle of their fig balsamic 🙂
I would love to try the black truffle oil!
The olive and basil oil sounds so yummy!!!
I would to try the Red Chili Penne and ANY of the olive oils and balsamic vinegars!
Green olive balsamic. Holy YUM 😀
I never knew there were so many different varieties of olive oils. I honestly need more time to view their offerings. I would be happy to try any of the oils.