Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil - A Pantry Staple in Our Home #spon

*Disclaimer - I was provided a bottle of Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil to facilitate my recipes and review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Summer allows for so many fresh recipe ideas in our home. The vegetables are ready to be picked in the field and I try keep our meals simple and delicious.

I think July and August are my favorite months. Our farm grows bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplant in abundance. The perfect pairing for these fresh and local veggies is a good bottle of olive oil. Armed with Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil in my pantry, I can create several different meal ideas in very little time. One of our family favorites is pizza!

I like making my own pizza dough. I add olive oil to the mixture and place it in my bread machine and walk away. It is much easier to make than you might think. I also use the olive oil to brush my crust with and then drizzle over the vegetables before baking. So even if you prefer a pre-made dough, olive oil can give you a crisp and flavorful crust while keeping your veggies moist and delicious.

Kruse's Friday Night Pizza Crust

You Will Need:

• 1 1/3 c. water
• 1/4 c. Bertolli Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. SAF yeast

Add the ingredients as directed to your machine. My machine calls for wet, dry and yeast last. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients to add the yeast. Select the dough setting on your bread machine.

Place a pizza stone in your oven and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

I like to pre-cook my crust before adding fresh veggies and homemade sauce so it doesn't get soggy in the middle. I stretch out my crust and then brush it with olive oil before baking for 5 minutes. Top as desired and then brush the edges with more olive oil and drizzle a little more over the vegetables before baking. Bake to warm through and melt the cheese.

The sky is the limit with fresh pizza toppings! I go for whatever is ripe and ready at the moment.

I love the flavor and quality of Bertolli olive oils. Bertolli is the brand I also buy regularly for my family. Extra Virgin Olive Oil  has a more distinct and stronger flavor, and I love it paired with fresh vegetables.

When not using it for pizza, I also love making simple dressings with it. One of my favorites is a simply dressed Greek Salad. My husband loves this lettuce-free version. It is hearty, sweet, salty and fresh.

Greek Salad with Lemon Dressing (Horiatiki)

You Will Need:

Salad

• 3 Roma tomatoes, sliced and halved
• 1/3 c. kalmata olives, halved
• 2 green bell pepper
• 1 cucumber, peeled, halved and sliced thin 
• 1/4 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Dressing

• 1/4 c. Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3 - 4 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Toss together all the ingredients except the feta in a large bowl. Set aside.

Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and pour over the vegetables. Toss gently to coat. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the top of the salad and serve immediately.

Of course, Bertolli is a favorite of chefs as well. Celebrity Chef Fabio Viviani, Top Chef All-Star and Fan Favorite, has created some delectable Summer recipes featuring Bertolli Olive Oil. You can find those recipes on these on the Bertolli website:

Gorgonzola Radicchio Penne Recipe
Spicy Mediterranean Linguine with Tuna Recipe

Also check out this Youtube video of Chef Fabio Viviani in action making the Flank Steak with Chickpea Arugala Salad:


Have you tried Bertolli Olive Oil before? How do you use it?