I know, I know, you are thinking wait, is the Copperopolis Olive Oil Company now serving food? Well the answer is 'no'. As you know by now I will utilize every excuse in the book to dine out...I LOVE other peoples cooking (well, most of the time, plus it almost always means they do the dishes) but seriously, here in Copper aka the surface of the sun, it was too darn hot to even dine out if I had wanted to...so home is where this dining experience unfolded.
As the heat becomes more and more oppressive and I become more and more unwilling to stand infront of a stove much less a bbq, I utilize every mother's skill and adapt to the situation....as my youngest son keeps telling me, "work smarter, not harder mom." So employing this line of thinking, I rifle through my cupboards and strike gold! A plethora of flavored olive oils courtesy of my many visits to the Copperopolis Olive Oil Company. Think, think, think...olive oil and .....hmmm.
Under the guise of staring at the contents of my refrigerator presumably planning the evening meal, while in reality just trying to cool down while I thought, I spied a few things that when put together could actually pass as a meal. A red onion, a half can of olives, a tomato, some hard boiled eggs and some feta cheese. Just be patient here...I'm getting to the yummy part. Chop all that stuff up, quickly boil some pasta, rinse with cold water, drain and mix with all the previous items found in the fridge.
I hope you're seeing where I am going with this, hubby walked by while I was in my creative culinary zone and expressed concern at what he hoped was not preparations for his meal (which almost always includes meat and lots of it). One glance at the temperature outside and my finger pointing to his bbq emitting heat waves intense enough to fry an egg and he was immediately quiet. Even my sun loving hubby wasn't up for bbqing in this heat.
So with all the items tossed together in a bowl, its time for the finishing touch. Drizzle some Copperopolis Olive Oil Company Basil Olive Oil and some Garlic Olive Oil over the collection of refrigerator goodies and mix. Chill for about 20 minutes and serve. Suffice it to say there were no leftovers. If you need meat, add some bacon.
Still on my 'its too hot to cook, kick' and my son wanting a snack, I pulled out some Copperopolis Olive Oil balsamic vinegar, garlic olive oil and tuscan herb olive oil, poured small amounts in a bowl. Added a little cracked pepper and tore up chunks of sour dough bread. Half a loaf of yummy dipped bread later we were two happy campers. Nap time.
With the selection of olive oils seemingly endless, from orange to basil, jalapeno to lemon and butter to herb, the ideas for your cool evening's meal should be an easy-out from the usual oven or bbq. However if you 'like' to stand in front of a bbq while the sun beats down on you, the recipes the owners, John and Josie Ribeira, have at their fingertips are seemingly endless and creative.
Not sure what olive oil is right for you? No problem, tasting at the store is a fun way to tantalize your taste buds. If you found an oil you love and are not sure what to do with it once you get home, no worries, the Copperopolis Olive Oil facebook page brings new and inventive ways to dine with olive oil, not to mention all the healthy reasons why we all should be using olive oils.
When in Copper, stop by and say 'hi' to owners and olive farmers John and Josie Ribeira. Open Monday thru Friday 11-5, Saturday 10-7 and Sunday 11-5. 785-6868
So this 'establishment' is a definite repeat for me. I have only managed to work my way through 1/4 of their oils and 1/8 of their balsamic vinegars. Not to mention I have yet to sample their soaps, lotions, skins products, etc. All made with olive oil. I will be back.
By,
Charity Maness
(My little disclaimer: 'To dine or not to dine' is meant to be a helpful - and humorous - informational piece only. I receive no monetary compensation for this column nor do I endorse any one eatery. This is simply my opinion. My tastes will be different from others and I readily admit that I have no culinary background, but I am pretty confident I know when food is cooked correctly or not, whether a drink is poured well or not and especially whether wait staff is first-rate or in need of a career change.)
