Ricotta Crostini & O Blood Orange EVOO

Since ancient times, olive trees and their oil were essential to the lives of the peoples of the Mediterranean. The olive trees provided a fruit and edible oil that was used for cooking, lighting, and purifying the skin. Pruning of the trees also provided wood for heat and cooking.

Today, olive oil is used to enhance and highlight the true taste of ingredients. When a recipe requires olive oil, how do you know which type to use? The best way is let your taste buds lead the way. As a general rule, use olive oil to cook with, and extra virgin olive oil in the raw, to drizzle and dress.

O BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL has a fragrant, lovable, and persistent taste.  It welcomes particular palates who prefer and appreciate the fruity flavor of blood oranges. This oil evokes excellence from the time the bottle is opened, until the last thread of the drizzle. It is ideal to use in dishes where the taste of the oil is “felt” between the flavors of the other ingredients, where the oil is the star ingredient. O BLOOD ORANGE OLIVE OIL,  is perfect and unforgettable drizzled raw on crostini, grilled fish and steaks, salads, pasta, stews, pizza, foccacia, and cooked vegetables. 

 When an oil is so perfectly delicious to use, there’s endless opportunities to show it off.  Here’s an easy crostini recipe that shows who the star of this dish is.   

Ricotta Crostini and O Blood Orange EVOO

12 slices crusty bread, about 1/3 inch thick
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
8 ounces ricotta cheese, at room temperature
Freshly cracked mixed peppercorns
1/4 to 1/3 cup, California mission blood orange olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to broil. Lay the bread slices evenly on a large baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the middle rack of the oven and broil about 1 to 2 minutes, or until just golden. Keep a close eye and stay close to the oven. Depending on your oven, you may need to move the baking sheet around once, to get even broiling on all slices.

When the bread is ready, remove from the oven. While still hot, rub each bread slice with the peeled garlic. Add a full teaspoon or more of ricotta on top.  Lastly, sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper on each slice, and a generous drizzle of the olive oil.

O OLIVE OIL is the original maker of specialty organic citrus-crushed olive oils since 1995 and premium barrel-aged wine vinegars since 1997. It’s a group of committed foodies making products that taste as good as they look!

For more information about O OLIVE OILs or O PREMIUM BARREL-AGED WINE VINEGARS go to: http://www.ooliveoil.com/