The Olive Cellar - Appleton WI

01/18/2025

KALE WITH STEWED TOMATOES AND WHITE BEANS

1 onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1 15 oz. can northern beans, or cannellini beans, drained not rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
Add onions and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring so that garlic doesn't burn. Add kale, a little at a time, gently tossing with tongs and letting each batch cook down so that it all fits. Season kale with salt and pepper, and add the red wine vinegar.
Add the stewed tomatoes, and beans. Gently toss to combine.
Let cook for 10-12 minutes until kale is cooked down completely.
Taste for seasoning.
This kale dish is delicious paired with roasted Italian sausage, or chicken, or simply on it's own as a vegetarian dish.
Enjoy.

01/17/2025

Black Cherry Balsamic Glazed Sage Pork Chops

INGREDIENTS:

4 bone-in pork loin chops (1 inch thick and 10 ounces each)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons The Olive Cellar's Wild Mushroom & Sage Infused Olive Oil

For the Glaze:
1/2 cup The Olive Cellar's Black Cherry Dark Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup honey
3 green onions ,chopped
2 garlic cloves ,minced
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup butter, cubed
Sprinkle pork chops with pepper flakes, salt and pepper.

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 145°; medium, 160°). Remove the pork and keep warm.

In the same skillet, add the balsamic vinegar, honey, green onions, garlic, salt and pepper and whisk constantly until it is brought to a boil(still over medium heat). Reduce the heat and simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.

Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in butter until melted. Drizzle glaze over the porkchops.
Enjoy.

01/16/2025

MUFFULETTA DIP

Try this for your football parties this weekend

1 cup Boscoli Italian Olive Salad available at The Olive Cellar
1 cup diced salami (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cup pepperoncini salad peppers
1 (2 1/4-oz) can sliced black olives drained
4 oz provolone cheese, diced
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Serve with French bread crostini

Stir together first 9 ingredients. Cover and chill 1-24 hours before serving. Stir in parsley just before serving. Serve with French bread crostini. Store leftovers in refrigerator up to 5 days.
Enjoy

01/15/2025

Weekly Recipe: Try Something New! -

It's that time of year when we're making resolutions and the most common New Year's resolutions involve creating a healthier lifestyle, eating better and getting in shape.

01/14/2025

CHICKEN MARSALA WITH MUSHROOM AND SAGE OLIVE OIL

INGREDIENTS
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, each split in half horizontally to form 8 cutlets
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 6 to 8 tablespoons The Olive Cellar's Wild Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil
• 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 medium sweet onion, sliced
• ⅔ cup dry marsala wine
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• 12 ounces pasta, try the Olive Cellar's spaghetti, linguine, capellini, or bucatini cooked according to package directions

INSTRUCTIONS
In shallow bowl or pie plate, stir flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 4 tablespoons Olive and Then Some Wild Mushroom and Sage olive oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Dredge pieces of chicken in flour mixture and shake to remove excess flour. Fry until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel lined plate. Repeat with remaining pieces of chicken, adding extra Mushroom and Sage olive oil to pan as needed.
After chicken is cooked and removed from pan, add mushrooms and onion to pan, add the marsala, and chicken broth, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Return chicken to pan to keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions in boiling water. Drain and toss with 1 tablespoon Mushroom and Sage Olive Oil.
Serve pasta and chicken immediately.
Enjoy.

01/11/2025

Greek Orzo

Greek Orzo with Tomatoes, Feta, Olives, and Fresh Basil is a delicious meatless meal that a whole family will love! This quick and easy side dish pairs well with any main course, and it comes together in under 30 minutes, using only one pan. Try this Mediterranean recipe, and it might become one of your new favorites.
Servings 4 people

Ingredients

1.5 cups orzo
3 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock or water
8 oz cherry tomatoes (red and yellow), sliced in half
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (chopped)
⅓ cup kalamata olives sliced
¼ cup green olives sliced
6 oz feta cheese crumbled or diced into small cubes
3 tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice, freshly squeezed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
¼ cup fresh basil chopped
salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large, high-sided skillet, combine orzo and chicken stock. Bring to a brief boil, reduce to a visible simmer, and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes (according to package instructions). Check the orzo 5 minutes into the cooking, and stir it to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Orzo is cooked when all the water is absorbed and the orzo has a nice texture of cooked pasta. You might have to add more water at the end if the orzo is undercooked or the water evaporates too fast.
Stir in halved cherry tomatoes, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, and sliced green olives. Add Feta cheese (crumbled or diced into small cubes), reserving ¼ cup of cheese for later.
Add lemon juice (or lime), extra virgin olive oil, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning.
Reheat everything on low heat, constantly stirring, to blend all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.
When serving, top with the remaining feta cheese and chopped fresh basil.
Enjoy.

01/09/2025

QUICK ONE PAN COQ AU BLANC

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 ½ pounds total)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour, for sprinkling (optional
4 shallots peeled and quartered or one large onion
3 cloves of garlic
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved (quartered, if large)
2 carrots peeled and finely sliced
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 ½ cups white wine
½ tbsp of fresh thyme
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley for garnish
Egg noodles to serve with or mashed potatoes or just some crusty bread to dip into the lovely sauce

Directions
Season chicken with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour if using
Heat a large frying pan with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, 2 to 3 min. (Feel free to drain off some of the fat but ensure there are approx 2tbsp left in the pan to sauté the veggies with and brown the chicken)
Add mushrooms, celery, carrots, garlic and onion/shallots and continue cooking, stirring often, until bacon is crisp and mushrooms are browned, 7 to 8 min.
Slide the vegetables and bacon to the side of pan, then add chicken, skin-side down, to other side of pan and cook until dark golden, about 4 min per side. May have to do this in batches if they all don’t fit in your pan.
Keep and eye on the veggies and stir them about while browning the chicken so you don’t have any burnt pieces.
Add wine, thyme, rosemary.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low.
Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and mixture has reduced and is saucy, 15 to 20 min.
Transfer chicken to a platter before adding the cream or add cream right into sauce and vegetables in with the chicken in the pan. (Either is fine - if you add it while the chicken is in the pan just make sure to pour it into the sauce not over the chicken so that the chicken stays brown in color)
Boil until mixture is slightly thickened, about 5 min.
Pour sauce over chicken when serving and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp thyme and parsley and serve over buttery egg noodles or mashed potatoes.
Serves 4-6, enjoy.

01/08/2025

CAPRESE EGGS (GLUTEN FREE)

DESCRIPTION
Gluten free caprese eggs. A simple combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, eggs, and balsamic for a healthy and delicious breakfast.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup arugula or baby spinach (or more)
1 large tomato
Oil for the pan, try this with our basil infused olive oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup mini fresh mozzarella balls, cut in half
Salt and pepper, to taste
Balsamic glaze, for drizzling (can sub regular balsamic) both available at The Olive Cellar
Fresh basil (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS
Slice tomato into about 1/4” thick pieces (you can serve as much or as little of the tomato as you’d like). Season the slices with salt and pepper and place over a bed of arugula or baby spinach.
Heat a pan over medium heat with olive oil. Crack eggs into the pan to fry and season with salt and pepper; when the eggs are about halfway cooked, place mozzarella (dairy free or regular) on top of the eggs and cover the pan to melt the cheese. Cook until eggs are cooked to your liking.
Serve the eggs over the tomato slices. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and garnish with fresh basil (optional).
Enjoy.

01/08/2025

Weekly Recipe: Try Something New! -

TASTING NOTES This exceedingly rare Portuguese variety and antioxidant powerhouse is intensely pungent  and displays unique confectionary characteristics, a sweet berry center with  cinnamon spice notes and lingering pepperiness.  Biophenols: 764.41 ppm 

01/03/2025

LEMON ROASTED CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND HERBS

2 lbs chicken legs, thighs, and breasts, bone in and skin on
1/4 cup Lemon Olive Oil, available at The Olive Cellar
3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large onion, sliced
1 tablespoon oregano
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 lemon, cut into slices ( you can use regular lemons )
1-2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In a large bowl cover the chicken with the Lemon Olive Oil and work around with your hands to fully coat the chicken. Remove chicken from bowl and place on a paper towel. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. Sprinkle half of the Parmesan cheese over the chicken.
Coat the bottom of a large casserole or baking dish with olive oil and place the chicken skin side up. Add the potatoes and onion, covering the chicken. Add chopped herbs and remaining cheese. Generously coat with olive oil and mix around to ensure everything is coated. Add the lemon slices through out the dish and pour a 1/4 cup of water in each corner of the dish
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 90 minutes. Turn potatoes and chicken every 20 minutes or so.
Serve with a drizzle of Lemon Olive Oil.
Serves 8
Enjoy.

01/01/2025

Recipe this Week -

TASTING NOTES This exceedingly rare Portuguese variety and antioxidant powerhouse is intensely pungent  and displays unique confectionary characteristics, a sweet berry center with  cinnamon spice notes and lingering pepperiness.  Biophenols: 764.41 ppm 

12/28/2024

THE OLIVE CELLAR WILL BE CLOSED WEDNESDAY JANUARY 1st, NEW YEAR'S DAY. We will be open Thursday January 2nd with our normal business hours, 10-6

We are open News Years Eve 10-3

12/27/2024

MOISTURIZING FOOD FOR DRY SKIN
OLIVE OIL

It contains healthy fatty acids that are said to plump, moisturize, and condition dry skin all over the body.
Similar to colloidal oatmeal, olive oil is a natural humectant that’s also full of nutrients such as vitamins A, D, E, and K, which offer a combination of moisturizing and anti-aging benefits. Vitamin E, for example, is said to help create a barrier between your skin and its external surroundings, so your skin can retain moisture and potentially be protected from drying, harsh winds or freezing temperatures.
Olive oil is also rich in squalene, an ingredient found in human sebum (the oil naturally produced by skin). In fact, squalene is said to make up 10 to 12 percent of human sebum. By applying an oil that’s rich in this skin-identical component, you’ll restore your dry skin to its normal, healthy, and moisturized state. Make sure you’re also applying it to slightly damp skin, so that your skin’s natural moisture can help soak in the helpful hydrating benefits. There’s a reason Mediterraneans have used olive oil as a moisturizer for centuries.

12/26/2024

Ham and Pea Pasta

This one pot ham and pea pasta recipe is quick, simple, and a perfect way to use up leftover ham from the holidays!

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 (10 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups Fusilli pasta, or your favorite pasta
4 dashes Italian seasoning
1-2 cups cooked ham chopped
1 cup frozen peas
Salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) to taste

Instructions
Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a fairly large pot. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant; about 30 seconds.
Add the chicken broth, half-and-half, pasta, and Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for 10 minutes, giving it a stir every so often.
The pasta should be about done - give it a taste, and if it's nearly cooked, add in the ham and peas. Cook it for another 5 minutes or so until the ham and peas are warmed through.
Serve immediately with Parmesan if desired.
Serves 4, enjoy.

12/24/2024

The Olive Cellar would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

12/21/2024

BALSAMIC SLOPPY JOE'S

Upscale Sloppy Joe's
1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Col Pabst Worcestershire sauce, available at The Olive Cellar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
Dash of bottled hot pepper sauce
4 kaiser rolls or hamburger buns, split and toasted
In a large skillet cook beef, onion and sweet pepper until meat is brown and vegetables are tender, stirring to break up any meat . Drain off fat.
Stir tomato sauce, water, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, balsamic, and hot pepper sauce into beef mixture in skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on rolls.
Serve 6
Enjoy.

12/20/2024

Recipe this Week -

Monday: 10am - 6pm Tuesday: 10am - 6pm Wednesday: 10am - 6pm Thursday: 10am - 6pm Friday: 10am - 6pm Saturday: 10am - 4pm

12/19/2024

Christmas Mimosas
The only thing you need in your hand while you open presents.

INGREDIENTS
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
1 c. whole fresh cranberries
1 c. green grapes, halved
1 c. pomegranate seeds
1 c. sparkling grape juice
1 (750-ml.) bottle Champagne, Prosecco, available at The Olive Cellar - Appleton WI

DIRECTIONS
In a large pitcher or punch bowl, combine apples, cranberries, grapes, and pomegranate seeds. Pour over sparkling grape juice and Champagne and stir well to serve.
Serves 8, enjoy.