Dipping: Make your own flavored olive oil
One of the best uses of olive is for dipping your favorite type of bread or snack in it. Infused olive oil gives a little hint of your favorite "flavors" and can be used for dipping around the table. Infused olive oil can also be used for rubbing your meat or vegetables before you cook them. We personally like to keep a few different flavors in out pantry in little "refillable" portions. Homemade Infused olive oil can also make a wonderful gift for your friends. Below find some of our favorite infused oil recipes but feel free to come up with your own favorite.
Lemon & Black Pepper
Start by "scraping off" some lemon skin two or three pieces of 1 to 2 inch in length. In addition, crack some black peppercorns (about 20-30 of them). Put everything in 250ml bottle and fill it up all the way with olive oil. Make sure that the olive oil will cover all the lemon skin. Close and keep in a cool and dark place and open it for use after at least a week.
Garlic & Rosemary
Get a small branch of fresh rosemary (about 3 inches in length). In addition, cut 2 garlic cloves in half. Put everything in 250ml bottle and fill it up all the way with olive oil. Make sure that the olive oil will cover the entire rosemary branch. Close the bottle and keep it in a cool and dark place. Open it for use after at a few days.
Sun Dried Tomatoes & Basil
This is one of our favorite ones as it as we used it a lot for rubbing eggplants (one of our favorite vegetables) before we cook them. Insert one sun dried tomato in the bottle and chop some basil leaves in there. Fill it up all the way with olive oil. Close the bottle and keep it in a cool and dark place. Open it for use after at a few days.
Thyme & Orange
We consider the thyme/orange combination one of the most interesting ones. Pick a small branch of fresh thyme. In addition, scrape off some orange skin. Put everything in 250ml bottle and fill it up all the way with olive oil. Make sure that the olive oil will covers the thyme and orange skin. Close the bottle and keep it in a cool and dark place. Open it for use after at a few days.
