Using ROSTO Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a great way to enhance the flavour of whatever you’re whipping up in the kitchen.  ROSTO ‘Mellow’ is great for general sploshing around and if you’re looking for a more robust olive taste then try ROSTO ‘Extra Oomph’.

 

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Mum’s Caponata Dip with Crostini
Fish fillets in an Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic and Oregano Bath (Salmoriglio)
Roasted Tomato and Rocket Salad with Marinated Goat’s Cheese
Potato Salad with Olives, Capers and Herbs
Asparagus, Tomato and Bacon Frittata

Mum’s Caponata Dip with Crostini
Serves 8 as a starter

1/3 cup ROSTO Mellow Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus extra for brushing
2 white onions, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
350g pitted green olives, finely chopped
110g baby capers in vinegar, drained
100g marinated chargrilled eggplant, finely chopped
80g (½ cup) sultanas, finely chopped
140g tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 sourdough baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Combine oil, onion and celery in a large frying pan over a medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add olives, capers, eggplant, sultanas, tomato paste, vinegar and sugar.  Stir to combine and simmer for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, brush each side of sourdough bread slices with extra olive oil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then place on an oven tray and bake at 180C for 5-10 minutes until crisp and pale golden.  Serve crostini with caponata at room temperature. 

Loukie Werle’s cookbooks are ROSTO favourites – her recipes are flavoursome and simple. These selected recipes are from her cookbooks, Saffron, Garlic & Olives and Splendido! The Best of Italian Cooking. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Fish fillets in an Olive Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic and Oregano Bath (Salmoriglio)
Serves 4 as a main course

This traditional Sicilian recipe is perfect for summer. It’s superb when served as soon as its cooked, but it’s equally good when made in advance, allowed to cool and served at room temperature.  Use any firm-fleshed fish such as ling, snapper or ocean perch, or swordfish or tuna if you prefer. 

4 fish fillets
2 tablespoons ROSTO Mellow Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salmoriglio
½ teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons ROSTO Australian Extra Oomph Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons hot water
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves
2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf (continental) parsley

Place the fish in a dish, pour over the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Turn the fish in the oil to coat, cover with plastic wrap and set aside until needed.  Preheat a cast iron grill pan or the barbeque until very hot.

To make the salmoriglio, combine the salt and garlic in a mortar or bowl and crush to a smooth paste with a pestle or the back of a spoon. Combine the garlic paste with the oil, hot water and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until emulsified.  Stir in the oregano and parsley. 

Grill the fish until just cooked through, about 5 minutes, turning once.  Immediately place in a dish and bathe with the oil and herb sauce.  Serve at once or allow to cool at room temperature.  Serve with crusty bread. 

Roasted Tomato and Rocket Salad with Marinated Goat’s Cheese
Serves 4 as a starter, light lunch or supper

Instead of goat’s cheese, this salad may be successfully made with bocconcini, cut into thick slices, small ‘cherry’ bocconcini or a mild-flavoured fetta cheese.  Serve as a starter to a summer meal or as a light lunch or supper dish.  

250 g (8 oz) goat’s cheese or bocconcini, cut into 4 thick slices
375 g (12 oz) firm egg (plum) tomatoes, halved
salt
small handful of rosemary sprigs
1 bunch rocket (arugula)
1 red onion, thinly sliced

Marinade
125 ml (4 fl oz) ROSTO Extra Oomph Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
juice of half a lemon
small handful of fresh flat-leaf (continental) parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Make the marinade first: combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whiz until smooth.  Place a single layer of the cheese in a dish and pour over the marinade.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, basting from time to time.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190C (375F).  Arrange the tomatoes in a baking dish, cut side up. Season lightly with salt and scatter with rosemary sprigs.  Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until they start to become wrinkly and dried out.  Allow to cool.

Thirty minutes before serving, remove the cheese from the refrigerator.  Place the rocket leaves on a platter and arrange the tomatoes and onion on top.  Add the cheese and spoon the remaining marinade over the salad. 

Potato Salad with Olives, Capers and Herbs
Serves 4-6 as a side dish

You can never have enough potato salads in your repertoire, and here’s another great addition.  As with all good potato salads, probably the single most important thing is to toss the potatoes with the dressing while still warm, and to serve at room temperature.  

60 g (2 oz) black olives, stoned and halved
1 tablespoon capers, drained and coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
10 large mint leaves, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 tablespoons ROSTO Extra Oomph Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
750 g (1 ½ lb) waxy potatoes, such as kipfler, pink fir apple or desiree
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the olives, capers, oregano, mint, garlic and oil in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in boiling, salted water until tender, then drain.  While still warm, cut into bite sized pieces and immediately toss with the dressing.  Stand for 20 minutes before serving at room temperature. 

Asparagus, Tomato and Bacon Frittata
Serves 4-6

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 5 cm pieces
2 tablespoons ROSTO Mellow Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 small onion, chopped
125 g thickly cut bacon or pancetta, cut into strips
2 medium potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons semi-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
4 tablespoons cooked peas or broad beans
6 large eggs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

Plunge the asparagus into salted boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.  Drain, refresh under cold running water and set aside.  Combine the oil and onion in a non-stick frying pan and cook over a moderate heat until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add the bacon and cook until the fat runs.  Add the potatoes and tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the peas. 

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl, season with salt, pepper and oregano and pour over the vegetables.  Turn the heat to low and cook until the bottom is set and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.  When the top no longer looks liquid, place the pan under a griller until the topside is golden.  Wrap the handle in foil, if not heatproof.  Serve warm or at room temperature.