Calivirgin Basil Oil

Serving Suggestions

Basil Watermelon Salad

Basil Watermelon Salad

Watermelon Salad is so refreshing in the hot summer months. Basil Oil from Calivirgin takes this salad to a whole new level.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Calivirgin Basil Oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
One 8-pound seedless watermelon, scooped into balls with a melon baller or cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks (10 cups), chilled
1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled (2 cups)
1 small sweet onion, diced
Basil leaves for garnish

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the watermelon, feta and onion and toss gently. Garnish with the basil and serve.

You can also serve this salad as an hors d'oeuvres. Simply cut the watermelon into larger, uniform chunks, top with a basil leaf, a piece of feta and drizzle with dressing. Onion is not used in the hors d'oeuvres recipe.

$20.00 add to cart

Olive Varietals: Olives pressed with fresh basil

Region: Lodi, Central Valley, California

Aroma: Bright, fresh basil.

Flavor: Bursts of fresh basil with a gentle bitterness and hints of licorice.

Uses: Screams for caprese salad. Excellent on risotto and asparagus. Try it on a watermelon and feta salad for a surprising twist.

Harvest Date: Fall 2011

Awards:
California Olive Oil Council Flavored Olive Oil Competition
Gold Medal Winner 2012

About the Producer
The Coldani family has been farming the San Joaquin valley for over 70 years. They took a cue from the producers in their native Italy by pressing whole fruits in the mill with the olives. This allows the pure essence of the fruit to shine through in a way that simply infusing olive oil could never achieve. They simply swapped in a California favorite, the jalapeño pepper, for the citrus of Italy. The olives, fresh from the trees, are cleaned and sent into the mill with whole, fresh jalapeños.

The modern planting and machine-harvesting techniques utilized at Coldani Olive Ranch allow harvest to occur at optimum fruit maturity for flavor and freshness. These fresh olives are then milled within hours of harvest using state-of-the-art cold-temperature extraction technology to ensure a clean and unadulterated oil. All of the extra virgin olive oil is estate grown; we don't use any pesticides and their product is organically and sustainably produced from their family owned and operated farm.

We're proud of the great press California Oils and Olive Oil Producers have been getting lately! Take a look at this feature story in The New York Times.