Who ever said that boiled or steamed vegetables had to be boring? Or that you had to smother them in sauce if you wanted any kind of flavour? Well, we say swap sauces and other calorie-laden dressings for a good aromatic olive oil. Tell me which vegetables you like cooking and I’ll tell you which aromatic olive oil will work best.
Swiss chard or spinach. They’re lovely steamed with a small carrot and potato, but to give them a bit more oomph, add a dash of aromatic olive oil with fried garlic.
Peas. Yes, we know that peas are technically pulses rather than vegetables, but like many people we just can’t resist their delicate flavour and intense green colour. The Mediterranean flavour of aromatic olive oil with fresh rosemary works wonders with them (as it does with any wild asparagus you might have to hand…).
Artichokes. Fans of this versatile vegetable, which is always delicious no matter how you cook it, might not have thought of trying it with lemon. Well, the fresh citric tang of lemon peel adds a wonderfully original flavour and an undeniable touch of class.
Pumpkin. Baked, grilled or in a soup, all it’s waiting for is a dash of aromatic olive oil with fresh basil. And the same goes for carrots: try finishing off a lovely carrot, potato and cheese soup with a dash of aromatic olive oil with fresh basil and you’re in heaven.
Green beans. If you like cooking them with carrots and potatoes, let them cool down and serve as a delicious summer salad with a dash of aromatic olive oil with black olives. Et voilà, a fresh, original dish. A kind of healthy Russian salad, you might say. If you’ve got a hardboiled egg or tin of tuna to hand, you’re sorted. Dinner is served.
And for a bonus track…
Chocolate. That’s right, you’re not seeing things. You know the classic dessert of bread with chocolate and olive oil, right? Well, you can make your own version by spreading some good-quality melted dark chocolate—stir it well to make it nice and creamy—onto some classy toast—simply bake some very thin slices of good-quality bread in the oven until they are good and crispy—and top off with a dash of aromatic olive oil with cayenne pepper and spices. You won’t want to eat anything else for the rest of your life.
