The other day Sam texted me and our friend Kass and asked us over for dinner. Her house was empty and she was in the mood to grill something while it’s still nice out. I’m a sucker for a good home-cooked meal so we stopped by my favorite wine spot in Capitol Hill called Otherworld, grabbed a nice bottle of wine, and headed over to Sam’s for our girls’ night.
Earlier that day at Spruce, she had just picked up two cans from Olea Pia - a new-to-Spruce gastronomy-focused company. They’re dope - a company founded by two devout foodies who made it their mission to stock peoples’ pantries with high quality ingredients that typically only restaurants would be able to get their hands on. She grabbed a can of Chili Oil and Biological Olive Oil and centered her meal around those two ingredients.
Now you’re probably wondering what was on the menu and I’m simply delighted to tell you because this meal was bangin’. She greeted us with a cocktail riffing off of a gin sour but mixed with olive oil and topped with some too. While we sipped on these, Sam got to work on dinner. She mentioned she wanted to grill some steak, but still wanted to keep dinner light since it’s been a hot muggy summer. She settled on two simple recipes: a fresh salad made of tomatoes, melon and burrata to accompany a perfectly grilled skirt steak.
This dinner was perfect - filling, nourishing, with fresh and seasonal ingredients. It really took next to no time to make. We can’t wait for you to try out some of these recipes, post and tag us on Instagram when you do - recipes listed below!
Sam’s Riffed Olive Oil Gin Sour
*serves 1*
- 1
½ ounces Tanqueray gin -
½ ounce fresh lemon juice -
½ ounce Olea Pia Olive Oil -
½ ounce simple syrup or Activist raw honey - Dash of angostura bitters
- 1 egg white
- Ice cubes
- Fresh rosemary to garnish
- Drizzle of Olea Pia Olive Oil to garnish
- Pour gin, lemon juice, Olea Pia Olive Oil, simple syrup or honey, angostura bits, and egg white into shaker.
- Shake vigorously for 30-45 seconds.
- Remove lid and add 3 large ice cubes.
- Shake vigorously again for 45 seconds.
- Double strain into your chilled glass.
- Top with fresh rosemary and a drizzle of Olea Pia Olive Oil.
- Serve (slay)!
Seasonal Tomato, Melon and Burrata Salad
*serves 4-6*
- 1½ pounds tomatoes (a mix of heirloom and cherry tomatoes), cut into bite-size pieces
- 1½ pounds cantelope seeded, rind cut away, and cut into crescents or half-crescents
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 small handful basil leaves
-
¼ cup Olea Pia Olive Oil drizzled (to taste) - Olea Pia Chili Oil drizzled (to taste)
- 2 balls burrata
- Place tomatoes and melon into a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Give them a good mix.
- Add in your red wine vinegar and your extra virgin olive oil and mix.
- Add in most of your basil leaves - conserving a few for garnish - and mix well again.
- Tear apart your first ball of burrata and stir into mixture.
- Tear apart your second ball of burrata and leave on top.
- Sprinkle the last of your basil leaves on top, drizzle with Olea Pia Olive Oil and Olea Pia Chili Oil and serve.
Sam’s Perfect and Simple Grilled Skirt Steak
*serves 2-3 people*
- 1-
1½ pounds skirt steak (at room temp) - Olea Pia Olive Oil
- Kosher salt
- McCormick Grillmates Montreal Steak Seasoning (or steak seasoning of your preference)
- Flakey salt for garnish
- Heat grill to HOT (~450°F)
- Seasoned raw steak with salt and let it sit at room temp until salt has melted into the meat
- Drizzle with Olea Pia Olive Oil and season with steak seasoning on all sides
- When grill is to temp, plop steak onto grill and cover for 2-3 minutes.
- Flip the steak over and grill until internal temperature is 125
°F, remove from grill and let rest on cutting board. - After 15 minutes of rest, slice steak against the grain and plate.
- Garnish with flakey salt and serve.
