Gifts from the Groves: Our 1st Annual Olive Oil Cupcake Bake-off

Photo By Serge Bertasius Photography, Free Digital Photos

Do you love cupcakes? Do you love olive oil? Well, how about an olive oil cupcake?!? 

We're inviting home bakers to compete in GIFTS FROM THE GROVES, our olive oil cupcake bake off! Chef Wendy Brodie and our Recipe Blog Editor Anni Brabeck Willford will be judging. Guests of the festival will taste how you can create delicious desserts with California Olive Oil!

Read our rules below.

To Enter: email us at quailandolive@gmail.com 

GIFTS FROM THE GROVES

OLIVE OIL CUPCAKE BAKEOFF RULES AND INFORMATION

The 2014 Carmel Valley Olive Growers Fest Bakeoff will be held Saturday, November 8, 2014 at The Quail and Olive, 3 Pilot Road in Carmel Valley, CA. Here are the contest rules and basic information. The theme of the 2014 bakeoff is "Gifts from the Groves".

To enter, please email The Quail & Olive at quailandolive@gmail.com. We are limiting to ten contestants; first come, first served.

Entries should be delivered between 2pm and 3pm on Saturday, November 8.

Judging begins at 4 pm.

Awards ceremony 4:30 pm.

Criteria for judging: General appearance, moisture, texture, flavor and creativity with the bake-off theme.

CONTEST RULES

No professional bakers, please.

Each contestant may enter only one recipe.

All entries must be made with California olive oils.

All cupcakes must be fully baked and complete.

Cupcakes are to be prepared in a sanitary manner.

Please enter one dozen cupcakes.

No commercial or box mixes may be used.

All entries must be placed on a paper plate enclosed in a Ziploc bag or covering.

You may use your own dish, with name on the bottom, and at your own risk.

Any leftover items will be the property of the contest and will be used for the tasting activity.

Each entry should be marked with a name of your cupcakes when you register on the day of the contest (for example, Lemon Olive Oil Cupcake).

Entries must be accompanied by the recipe used to bake it.  Judges will use the recipe as part of their information for judging.

Also with your permission, the recipes will be collected for distribution to the public. If you choose not to give this permission, please indicate on your entry and understand it will not affect whether your entry will win a prize.

Blood Orange EVOO Belgian Waffles

Hi everyone, this is Mary the Publicity Quail!

Recently, me and my boys were up in Big Sur for our annual summer camping trip. After roughing it on the river, we packed up and trekked to Carmel. We always start with breakfast at Little Swiss Cafe, where we find Puss & Boots in the mural and enjoy those crispy sweet Belgian waffles.

Last Sunday back at home in Newport Beach, we were craving those waffles. So I dusted off my waffle maker and decided to do something special with The Quail & Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil.

These waffles were delicious! While mixing the batter, I could immediately smell the bright citrus. While the waffles cooked, the boys called out that it smelled great! The first bite was light, crispy and delicately sweet. I added a drizzle of the blood orange olive oil and this instantly became a recipe I'll be using again.

Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs separated
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter melted
1/2 cup Quail & Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter, olive oil and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter.

Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions until golden brown. Drizzle with Quail & Olive Blood Orange Olive Oil. Warm maple syrup is also recommended!

Basil EVOO Pesto Crab Pasta

We have been so very lucky since our move here to Carmel Valley. The fish here is exquisite and the crab...yum! Everyone needs to try the recipe, the pasta that is sold at The Quail and Olive is amazing. It is all freshly made and no artificial ingredients. One small package was enough to feed four hungry adults and 3 children. Enjoy!

Basil EVOO Pesto Crab Pasta

Ingredients:

1 small package of Organic Farfalline Arcobaleno Pasta
1 cup fresh crab, shelled
2 cups Basil Leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/2 cup Basil EVOO
1/3 cup pine nuts
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and peper to taste

Combine all ingredients (with the exception of the crab and pasta) into a food processor. Pulse to combine. Cook pasta according to directions on back of pasta. In large bowl, combine pasta, crab, and pesto. Serve with a salad and enjoy!

Lime EVOO Fish tacos

There is nothing better than fresh fish and a great taco bar. My middle child absolutely loves tacos and I make sure its on our meal plan at least one time a week. This is a great and very easy recipe to prepare. Enjoy!

Lime EVOO Fish Tacos


Ingredients:

1 lb fresh fish ( we used rock cod fillet) cut into 2 oz portions
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper to taste
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 T Lime EVOO
1 head of Red cabbage, thinly sliced
corn tortillas


Directions:

Combine flour, corn meal, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and pepper in medium sized bowl. In another bowl, beat the egg and Lime EVOO. Dip fish into egg mixture. Then coat the flour mixture over fish. Place on dish and set aside. Heat grill, grill fish on both sides until done, usually 3-4 minutes per side. Slice the cabbage and place into bowl. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the cabbage and add about 2 T of Lime EVOO. Mix to combine. Serve tacos with some fresh pico de gallo Salsa and a creamy white Dill Sauce. Enjoy!


Recipe for creamy white Dill Sauce

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t jalapeno pepper, minced
1 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cumin
1/2 t dried dill
1/8 t garlic powder

Bacon EVOO Fish Chowder

This week we had some fresh rock fish from our local CSA. I decided to make this chowder for our family and friends. This was a hit! I especially loved using the Bacon EVOO, a very special guilt free meal,  everyone loved it and so did my little girls. I will definitely be making this again. Enjoy!

Bacon EVOO Fish Chowder

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds fish ( raw it will cook in chowder), cut into chunks
4-6 cups Fish Stock
2 Baking Potatoes; peeled and chopped
1 T fresh tarragon, chopped
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 T sugar
1 t of white pepper to taste
2 Bay leaves
2 t thyme
1 cup whipping cream
1-2 cups cream sherry
salt and pepper to taste
4 ribs celery, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 package frozen corn
1/4 cup Bacon EVOO



Directions:
In large stock pot, add Bacon EVOO. Place on medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Add a little salt and pepper. Saute for about 5-7 minutes. Add tarragon and parsley. Cook for another minute or so until fragrant. Add cream sherry and deglaze pan, making sure to scrap the sides of the pot to get all that extra flavor incorporated in the mixture. Add the stock, potatoes, white pepper, bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to boil and then reduce heat. Cook until potatoes are softened, about 30 minutes or so. Add the fish, cook for about 15 minutes more or until fish is done. Add frozen corn, whipping cream, and sugar. Stir to combine. Cook for about another 5 minutes. Take bay leaves out before serving.  I love the Habanero EVOO and it tasted exquisite over this chowder. Enjoy!

Tuscan EVOO Crab Bisque

We had a delicious delivery of crab from our local CSA last night and decided we would make a crab bisque. The combination of the Tuscan EVOO with all the ingredients is delightful. Everyone finished their bowls and wanted seconds. I tell you this made me one happy momma! Enjoy!

Tuscan EVOO Crab Bisque

Ingredients:

2 Dungeness crabs, cooked ( about 1 1/2 lbs each)
3 T Tuscan EVOO
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes ( can use canned)
1 1/2 cups white wine ( we used Sauvignon Blanc)
2 T chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup flour
3 cups clam juice
3 cups water
1 cup heavy cream
1 T Cognac
1/2 t berbere or cayenne pepper
 salt and pepper to taste


Using mallet, crack the legs in several places and remove the meat. Set aside the crabmeat in a bowl. Crack the large claws and carefully remove the meat from each claw. Slice the meat and set aside. Using kitchen shears, cut the shells into small pieces, set aside.
In saucepan over low heat, add Tuscan EVOO. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and saute stirring occasionally until the vegetables have soften, about 15 minutes.
Add the crab shells, tomatoes, wine and tarragon. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir well to combine.
Bring to boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a bow, combine the clam juice and water. Combine 1/3 of the clam juice mixture and 1/3 of the shell mixture to a blender. Pulse briefly to break up the shells.
Place a cheesecloth over a fine-mesh sieve. Place over a bow. Pour the contents of the blender through the sieve. Repeat with the remaining clam juice and shell mixtures in 2 batches. Transfer to a soup pot.
Place the pot over low heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the cream, Cognac, and berbere ( or cayenne pepper) and season with salt and pepper.
Add the reserved crabmeat and heat through. Ladle into bowls and garnish with claw meat if desired. Enjoy!

Basil EVOO Chicken Cacciatore

I have a fantastic recipe to share with you today, the Basil EVOO makes this tasty dish scrumptious especially when paired with the Plum Basil vinegar. I prepared everything in our crock pot. I returned to a home that smelled amazing and a dinner that was easy to prepare. The only thing left to do was to boil some noodles and prepare a salad. Talk about an easy meal, and very healthy as well. The kids throughly enjoyed their meal and there was not much in terms of leftovers.  Enjoy!!


Basil EVOO Chicken Cacciatore

Ingredients:

2-4 Chicken Breasts
12 oz can tomato paste
1 T italian seasoning
2 T Basil EVOO
8oz sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, chopped


Place all ingredients in crock pot. Cook on low 6-8 hours.

About 1 hour before serving add:

1/4 cup white wine
3-4 T Plum Basil

Then mix 3T cornstarch in water, pour mixture into crock pot to thicken dish.

Serve over pasta tossed in Basil EVOO and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy!