Olive oil that looks as good as it tastes!
A staple in everyones home, extra virgin olive oil has so many wonderful benefits outside of making your meals taste fantastic. Namaqua Olive Oil is a firm favourite at SA Weddings HQ. Not only does the beautiful packaging make our hearts swoon, but it is a proudly South African product too!
The Avenant family embarked on a new adventure growing olives and producing the finest extra virgin olive oil in the Olifantsriver Valley. Situated in Vredendal, West Cost, this Namaqua valley is known and dominated by the wine industry. As wine farmers themselves, the savvy team behind Namaqua Olive Oil were looking for a challenge and boy did they deliver. Planting their first olive trees in 2012 the business has flourished and is now the first and only commercial olive farmers and producers to date in this area.
This extra virgin oil is not only beautifully packaged but has some awards behind its name too. Only three years into production, the team has already won two SA Olive Gold Awards. In celebration of the Frantoio that won Gold this year at the SA Olive Awards, Namaqua Olive Oil has released a limited yellow 1 litre tube. We love the pop of colour it adds a beautiful freshness to your summer table!
To celebrate this win and our special relationship with this fantastic olive oil we have listed our favourite oil infusion recipe below. Infused olive oils are a fantastic way to add extra flavour to salads, pan-fried meals and your favourite pizza and pasta dishes.
Ingredients
To infuse olive oil, you can use the following:
Sliced red chilli with pips
Sliced garlic
Sliced garlic and peppercorns
Chilli and garlic
Lemon zest
Chopped basil
Rosemary sprigs
Method
If you are going to use herbs in your oil, bruise your herbs and grind your spices to allow their full flavour profile to develop. Add your chosen ingredients to an airtight glass bottle or container and then gently pour your oil over and seal tightly. Store your oil upright in a dark place or in your fridge for two weeks before consuming. You need to allow your chosen flavour combination to develop fully and infuse enough.
If you're infusing woody herbs, try the heat infusion method to release all those delicious flavours. So, once your oil has infused with the herbs, gently pour your flavoured oil into a sauce pan and heat over medium heat until it reaches 180 degrees. Turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool and strain through a sieve back into your container or glass bottle. Store your newly infused oil in a dark place or in your fridge. How simple and delicious does this sound?
With all this goodness, we cannot wait to hear about your delicious combinations. Browse through the gallery below to see more of Namaqua Olive Oil’s wonderful range.
