Summer dining screams fresh salads paired with grilling. Do things the right way with a little help from local Mountain Town Olive Oil Company’s seasonal favorites. We asked owner Jessica McCleary for her go-to recs to ensure you are host-ready come this weekend.
For summer marinades and dressings:
Head straight for the basil olive oil paired with the peach balsamic. The herby undertones of the olive oil compliment the tangy balsamic and work perfectly on a peach, heirloom tomato, and fresh mozzarella caprese salad. Garnish with fresh basil and homemade sourdough croutons for a timeless summer starter dish.
For your main course, look no further than the Northwest salmon rub for perfectly seasoned grilled salmon or pork chops. Pull everything together with a homemade tzatziki dip featuring the California garlic olive oil and Greek seasoning blend.
We recommend making this watermelon, cucumber and feta salad one of your summer staples, featuring a Persian lime olive oil as well as their lemongrass mint balsamic.
Ingredients:
- ½ watermelon peeled and cubed
- 2 cups English or Persian cucumber, diced
- ¼ cup mint, chopped
- ¼ cup basil, chopped
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoon Persian lime olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemongrass mint balsamic
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine chopped watermelon, cucumber, feta and fresh herbs.
- Add oil and vinegar to taste.
Finally, whoever said olive oil was strictly savory has been sleeping on dessert. Mountain Town Olive Oil’s lavender balsamic vinegar is the secret ingredient to our favorite buttermilk lavender berry cake.
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup butter olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lavender balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 9, ounces fresh berries
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease a 9” round cake pan and line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (not including the sugar). In a separate bowl whisk together the wet ingredients plus sugar. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined. Toss the berries in a bit of flour and fold them gently into the batter. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top is golden brown (about 1 hour). Remove and let cool for 10 minutes.
*All flavored oils and vinegars can be found at Mountain Town Olive Oil on Main Street.
