From delicate and buttery to bold and peppery, these Italian extra virgin olive oils are made for dressing salads, finishing pasta, or dipping fresh bread. Stock up on the pantry essentials you’ll reach for all summer long.

• Made with hand-picked olives from the hills of Italy’s Orcia Valley, this Toscano IGP extra virgin olive oil is grassy and herbaceous, with a hint of bitterness and a black pepper finish. It’s perfect with bread, bruschetta, red meat, salads, and soups.

• Hand-painted ceramic bottles hold award-winning extra virgin olive oil that is soft and balanced, with notes of fresh grass and artichoke, a sweet almond finish, and a touch of peppery spice. Enjoy it with fish dishes, salads, grilled meats, boiled vegetables, or legume soups.

• Hand-picked Taggiasca olives give this DOP Riviera dei Fiori-certified extra virgin olive oil a buttery, fruity flavor with delicate notes of fresh almonds. Drizzle it over seafood dishes, use it as a bread dip, or blend it into pesto or salad dressings.

Ready, Set, Drizzle !!

But what exactly are Carciofi alla Romana?

The artichoke vegetable is very popular in Italy, especially in the city of Rome. There are several ways to prepare artichokes, but this “Roman way” is the most attractive and delicious. Its specialty is that the inside of the artichoke flower is filled with a special blend of spices and then slowly cooked in a bain-marie in a mixture of olive oil and water.

The most important thing is cleaning the artichoke. First, prepare a large bowl of water and squeeze in the juice of a lemon, as artichokes blacken as soon as they’re cut. Remove the tough, dark green outer leaves one by one, until you reach the more tender, pale yellow inner leaves. Cut the stem, leaving about two inches of it, and peel the tough outer part with a knife. Next, cut off the tough, prickly tip of the flower and, using a teaspoon, hollow out and remove the annoying inner beard. Submerge the cleaned artichokes in the acidulated water.

Next, prepare the filling. Finely chop some garlic cloves, fresh mint leaves (pearly mint), and parsley. Mix everything in a bowl with breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, and a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Now take the cleaned artichokes, gently spread the leaves, and carefully stuff this flavorful mixture inside and between the leaves.

The last step is cooking. Take a terracotta pot or pan where the artichokes can fit tightly, upside down (stem-side up). Place them in the pan and pour in plenty of extra virgin olive oil (about half a cup), a little white wine, and a glass of water. Cover tightly with a lid and cook over very low heat for about 30-40 minutes. When you can easily pierce the stem with a fork without resistance, your artichokes are cooked to perfection.

Italians consider artichokes the most powerful natural remedy for treating fatty liver disease and cholesterol. The natural chemicals they contain help cleanse the liver and accelerate its function. When you eat this Roman artichoke, well softened and glistening with olive oil, the blend of garlic, mint, and olive oil will infuse incredible vitality into your entire body.

This illustrates how wonderful it is in Italian culture to be able to heal yourself with a tasty meal instead of taking artificial medications.

Mayonnaise is a very versatile sauce and can be used to enrich and flavor any dish, from fish and shellfish to appetizers, side dishes, and even meat. Let’s see how to make it using extra virgin olive oil as its main ingredient.

Mayonnaise Making Tips
Mayonnaise is a savory sauce consisting of an emulsion of simple ingredients: egg yolks, oil, lemon juice, vinegar, water, and salt (sometimes a pinch of mustard).

Preparations

Place the egg yolks and salt in a bowl. Using a whisk or electric mixer, begin mixing to incorporate the salt, adding a drop of water at a time, stirring constantly. Gradually, or rather, drop by drop, add the extra virgin olive oil, which should not be too aromatic. Stir, whisking constantly. The result will be a thick, creamy sauce. If it becomes too thick, add a little lemon juice; if it is too acidic, add a little water. Store in the refrigerator at 4°C.

Tasty and versatile

Why do egg yolks, water, or other liquids bind with oil to form a creamy consistency? Normally, water and oil repel each other. Surfactant molecules are responsible for this sauce, known as mayonnaise. The lecithin in egg yolks and mustard creates these bonds, while the acid in vinegar or lemon juice stabilizes them. Finally, the water helps prevent the mayonnaise from becoming too thick or too acidic. Acids also alter the color of the yolk, making it less intense and whiter.

Why does mayonnaise curdle?
Mayonnaise curdles for two reasons, and these problems often occur simultaneously.

1 – The first reason is that the ingredients may be too cold: the result is excessive viscosity that prevents the formation of microbubbles of oil. The recommended temperature for oil is 30°C, the same temperature as egg yolks.

2 – The second reason is the mistake of pouring the oil too quickly: the surfactant molecules struggle to distribute themselves over a myriad of microbubbles of oil rather than a limited amount, resulting in the mayonnaise falling apart.

Let’s make it now
Detoxing doesn’t mean eating sad dishes: this fennel cream is proof.

Discover our recipe and treat yourself to a wellness treat

Every now and then, you need to prepare something light, but it also needs to please the palate. Right? It’s not impossible, and this fennel cream is proof of that.
Fennel is a true panacea for the body, thanks to its purifying and digestive properties, and it’s never missing from my table these days.
It’s rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and is perfect for making a light, healthy, and nutritious cream.
With a pinch of creativity, this cream can be transformed in so many ways, and I’ll suggest a few. In the meantime, let’s start with the simplest recipe, a true comfort food this season.

Detox fennel cream

Ingredients
800 g fennel
300 g potatoes
1 small onion
800 ml vegetable broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
50 g sour cream
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method
Wash the fennel, removing the green stems and the toughest parts (which you will keep). Chop them together with the peeled potatoes and onion.
In a saucepan, heat the oil and sauté the onion over low heat. Add the fennel and potatoes, stirring to combine.
Pour in the hot vegetable broth to cover the vegetables and cook over medium heat for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
Blend everything with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the cream hot, garnished with a drizzle of oil and, if desired, sour cream or Greek yogurt, and fennel fronds.

Delicious and Creative Variations
As I mentioned, this fennel cream lends itself to many variations.
It can be made more fragrant, more flavorful, more ethnic, or more spicy with the addition of a few ingredients. Let’s see how.

With orange and ginger: Add the juice and grated zest of half an orange and a little grated fresh ginger while cooking. The result will be fresh and aromatic.

With Leeks and Coconut Milk: I love this variation because the coconut milk makes everything so enveloping and soft. Be careful, you must use canned coconut milk.
Replace the onion with a leek and add 100 ml of coconut milk at the end of cooking for a velvety texture and an exotic flavor.

With Shrimp and Croutons: For a more elegant version, suitable for a more special occasion, serve the cream with pan-fried shrimp with a drizzle of oil and chili pepper, accompanied by whole-wheat croutons.

With Cheese and Walnuts: This is the perfect recipe for those who love the bold flavors and warmth of rustic recipes. Add a spoonful of sweet Gorgonzola directly to the dish and garnish with chopped walnuts for a crunchy touch. You can also replace the Gorgonzola with Robiola and the walnuts with hazelnuts for a more delicate flavor.

With cabbage and speck: this is perhaps my favorite recipe because it’s packed with vegetables, but also has a savory, crunchy touch from the speck. Definitely worth a try.

How to Use Fennel Trims
Now we address the usual dilemma of what to do with fennel trim. Nothing goes to waste.
The green fennel fronds can be finely chopped and used as a garnish for cream, adding a touch of freshness.
I sometimes also make a delicious herbal tea with the fronds, steeping them in boiling water for 20 minutes and then straining everything. It’s super purifying.
The tougher, more fibrous parts of the fennel are perfect for making a vegetable broth: boil them with other vegetables for about 30-40 minutes and strain.
You can also dry the fronds and use them as a spice to flavor salads or fish dishes.

This shrimp and agretti dish with ginger sauce is a light and nutritious fish main course, easy to make, and best prepared in spring when these vegetables are in season.

Also known as monk’s beard, agretti must be thoroughly cleaned of soil—it takes a bit of patience to clean them, but their flavor will make up for the effort—and then boiled. In this recipe, we used them to accompany pan-fried shrimp and seasoned everything with a sauce made with ginger, orange, butter, and honey.

Recipe
Time: 45 minutes   Serves 4
Ingredients
350 g agretti
250 g orange juice
50g butter
16 shrimp
honey
fresh ginger
grated orange zest

Olive oil , salt and pepper

Method
Step 1
Clean the agretti: remove the roots and part of the base of the leaves and soak them in plenty of cold water, shaking them initially to remove any soil; change the water until the water is clear.

Step 2
Then boil them in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Step 3
Peel the shrimp, leaving only the tail end, and remove the dark vein.

Step 4
Melt 30g of butter in a pan with 1 tablespoon of honey. Add the orange juice and bring to a gentle boil.

Step 5
Grate a piece of ginger and squeeze the pulp, obtaining 1 scant tablespoon of juice. Add it to the pan and reduce
for 3-4 minutes. Let the sauce cool.

Step 6
Cook the shrimp in a pan with the remaining butter for 2 minutes.

Step 7
Serve the shrimp with the agretti, garnishing with a drizzle of Olive Oil, the ginger sauce, a pinch of grated orange zest, and pepper.

A dressing completely natural, organic and unfiltered with organic Italian Apples.

Unfiltered Organic Apple Cider Vinegar 

Apple cider vinegar is an interesting adjuvant for our health and also for our beauty; to be used both as a substitute for classic vinegar and as a supplement, natural apple cider vinegar helps our body to detoxify, our skin to cleanse itself of impurities and in general increases our resistance and our energy.

Not only that, apple cider vinegar helps speed up the metabolism and therefore in some way promotes weight loss, even if it is not the first reason why it should be taken. Let’s discover together some of the benefits of apple cider vinegar, how to use it and take it and also the contraindications.

Apple cider vinegar: the benefits

It is alkalizing, meaning it helps our body to maintain the correct PH level, which allows our organism to work correctly;
It helps to lower the level of sugar in the blood and in the body;
It helps to lower blood pressure and, consequently, decreases (not alone, obviously) the possibility of heart problems;
Speeds up metabolism, promoting weight loss;
Decreases the formation of insulin, the hormone responsible for fat accumulation;
Improves the production processes of digestive enzymes, promoting a flat stomach;
Helps the body’s detoxification process;
Improves digestion;
Strengthens the immune system;
It is an antioxidant;
Helps lower cholesterol levels.

Apple cider vinegar: contraindications

There are no serious contraindications when taking apple cider vinegar, but it must be remembered that excessive intake could cause damage to tooth enamel and cause gastrointestinal disorders. It is not recommended for those suffering from osteoporosis or ulcers.

How to take apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can be taken in different ways, but the most common one, which allows you to benefit from the many positive effects of this natural ingredient, is to dilute a teaspoon of vinegar in a cup of hot water and drink it near or far from meals on average twice a day.

You can also take a tablespoon of undiluted vinegar, in the morning on an empty stomach, as you do with lemon.

Apple Cider Vinegar: An Indispensable Ally

Apple cider vinegar is taken for many reasons, including those listed above, but it can be used for many things. Among these:

1. Instead of shampoo
vinegar polishes and degreases hair naturally and is suitable for those who want to wash their hair in the most natural way possible. Just mix a breakfast cup of water with half a breakfast cup of vinegar, sprinkle the mixture on your hair, mix well and rinse.

2. Against sunburn
Apple cider vinegar works very well against sunburn. Just mix half a breakfast cup of vinegar with four breakfast cups of water and, using a cotton cloth, pass the liquid over the burned surface.

3. As a facial toner
To invigorate the skin of the face and neck, vinegar is ideal. Mix equal parts cold water and vinegar and pass the natural toner on your face and neck morning and evening. Likewise, this solution helps against acne.

4. To relieve age spots
Apple cider vinegar naturally contains alpha hydroxy acids and for this reason, mixed with water in equal parts, it can be dabbed on the spots on the face, hands and neck and left to act for a few minutes. With perseverance, the spots will fade.

5. Against sore throat
Gargles with 1/4 warm water and 1/4 vinegar help the throat to find relief. The same remedy is used to defeat bad breath problems.

6. Against colds
Warm water and vinegar to inhale help the nose to clear and help defeat colds. The first impact is not the best but you easily get used to it.

A HEALING INGREDIENT
Try our Apple Cider Vinegar