Agrumato Lemon & Herbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Mushroom Herb Salad
Many people, when asked to name olive oil producing regions of Italy, do not immediately think of Abruzzo. This pastoral region set in central Italy east of Rome is well known for its spectacular vistas, majestic mountains, and expanse of Adriatic coastline. Yet olive trees and grape vines cover Abruzzo’s mountain slopes, and for thousands of years olive oil has played a crucial part in the culture and cuisine of the region. The truth is Abruzzo produces excellent oil, and each year more and more is being exported to the United States and other countries.
I recently received a bottle of Agrumato (ah-gru-MAH-to) Lemon and Herbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil for review from Olio2go, an online and brick and mortar retailer of Italian extra virgin olive oils, vinegars, and food products. This mild, yet flavorful oil is made from Gentile di Chieti, Leccino, and Olivastra olive cultivars. It comes from the Ricci Family of Lanciano, an area well known for its citrus oils. There is a long standing tradition in the area of pressing the last of the autumn olives along with lemons. The acidity of the lemons cleans the press and the oil is traditionally shared with family and friends. Because the olives are pressed simultaneously with the ripe lemons the oil exhibits a remarkable harmony of flavor. The sunny lemon oil is infused with garlic and oregano to create a sophisticated marriage of clean citrus flavor and aromatics.
I started by trying it on bread and was pleased to discover a mild flavored oil, with just a bit of pepper, a forward lemon zing and gentle notes of garlic and herbs. Over hot crostini, the aromatic garlic and oregano came more to the fore, transforming a simple piece of bread into a satisfying snack.
The maker recommends using the oil as a condimento, a dressing to be used sparingly, for grilled meat, fish and vegetables. I had to go give it a go. It was excellent drizzled over a grilled New York steak. The lemon and aromatic notes were released by the heat of the steak and in turn enhanced the steak’s flavor. The oil was the perfect complement for grilled swordfish. The flavors married beautifully. It was also excellent drizzled over steamed and grilled vegetables. In short, this oil sings as a condimento over hot food.
I was curious about how it would perform in a salad dressing, especially one that was packed with herbs. I made a salad of mixed mushrooms with herb dressing. The flavors of the oil came through enrobing the herbs and mushrooms in a splendid mix of lemon, garlic and oregano.
This oil is superb, and will be particularly welcome in the hot summer months when we are looking for quick, flavorful food. Lemon predominates, but does not overpower. The oil itself is clean with no greasiness. Use it sparingly, drizzling just a bit over bread, fish, meat or vegetables. It is also excellent in salad dressings and marinades.
Fresh Mushroom Herb Salad with Agrumato Oil
serves 6
A mixture of white button and cremini mushrooms are the base for this light salad. Basil and Italian parsley, along with spring’s first cut tarragon and chives add a welcome burst of flavor. Complete the herb mix with Nepitella, a classic Italian herb with the flavor of mint and oregano. The Agrumato oil, white balsamic vinegar and a bit of lemon juice complete the fragrant mix. If it is an antipasto you are after, the mushrooms make a delicious topping for crostini.
8 to 10 ounces pound fresh mushrooms, white button or cremini, or a mixture
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
¼ cup Agrumato Lemon with Herbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh Nepitella*
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons minced tarragon
mixed baby lettuce greens
salt and pepper
lemon to garnish
extra herb leaves to garnish
Brush any dirt or debris off mushrooms using a damp towel. Do not submerge them in water. Mushrooms tend to absorb water, and can easily become waterlogged and heavy. Trim and discard the tough dry end of the stem. Slice mushrooms thinly, and transfer them to a medium glass bowl. Set aside.
Combine lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Check seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary. Pour dressing over mushrooms, add minced herbs, and toss the mixture very gently. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Toss mixture two or three times.
Rinse salad greens and spin dry. Tear them into small pieces, if desired. Arrange the salad greens on a platter. Place the marinated mushrooms atop salad greens. Add extra herb leaves and sliced lemons to garnish the platter.
* Food Nerd Notes: Nepitella is rarely seen in supermarkets in the U.S., although some Farmer’s Markets do have it. Click here to learn more about Nepitella, and how to obtain plants and seeds.
Agrumato Lemon & Herbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil is available online from Olio2go. 8400 Hilltop Road, Suite H, Fairfax, VA 22031 866-Olio2go (866-654-6246)
It is supplied in 200 ml bottles, cost is $24.95 plus shipping. The oil is also available in Lemon (with no herbs), Orange and Tangerine.
Citrus – Bartolomeo Bimbi (1648–1723)
Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show!
Disclosure: I received the product mentioned above for free. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I otherwise have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Tuesday, April 16th 2013 at 10:34 pm |
il limone aggiunge sapore a tantissimi piatti, lo uso tanto anche io ! Non conosco quell’olio, sembra veramente speciale! Buona giornata cara Adri, un abbraccio …
Tuesday, April 16th 2013 at 11:05 pm |
Ciao Chiara,
E veramente speciale, molto saporito. Quest’olio e da Chieti. Un bacione, amica!
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 12:08 am |
What a lovely post and what a delicious sounding recipe. It is so important to use a really good quality olive oil in your salads (and in the kitchen in general), it does make all the difference taste wise and health wise. I believe that you cannot stress that enough. And how nice that you got to try out and taste the very special aromatic and citrussy olive oil from this special manufacturer. Thanks for all the background info too.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 6:50 am |
Hi Andrea,
You are so right about the difference quality oil can make, healthwise and tastewise. Bad oil can destroy a dish, and even worse, put someone off of oil forever. Thanks for the visit!
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 2:04 pm |
Thanks for clueing us into this olive oil Adri. I have used other olive oils and products from Olio 2 Go and always found them delicious. Your salad really highlights the flavor, I’ll bet. I love a raw mushroom salad. I wish I could find nepitella here. I’ll just have to order those seeds and plant them in my garden.
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 2:30 pm |
Hi Linda,
It’s my pleasure entirely. This oil is versatile, and delicious. About the Nepitella – once you have a plant,you will wonder what took you so long. It is a wonderful herb. Alla prossima!
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 6:55 pm |
Hi Adri, I actually received a similar agrumato olive oil from Abruzzo as a gift for Easter and is is truly lovely. I have only enjoyed it with bread and drizzled over grilled chicken thus far but your salad looks like a wonderfully bright showcase for it! A presto! Michelle
Wednesday, April 17th 2013 at 7:48 pm |
Hi Michelle,
I am so glad to hear you are familiar with this. I love the bright lemon flavor, and its remarkable versatility. Alla prossima!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 1:45 am |
It’s always wonderful to read your posts.Good olive oil and lemon is a combination so loved in Italy,that I think Italians have it in their DNA.There are about a dozen different types of olive oil that I adore,so difficult to choose.If pushed,i would probably choose the Planeta oil from Sicily.As for nepitella,is impossible to find in London shops,i’ve decided that I will smuggle it/plant it myself.
P.S. I also loved your cicerchie and kale soup.
Grazie
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 8:04 am |
Ciao Edith,
You are right about the flavor combination. It is unsurpassed. I do not know Planeta oil. I must investigate. Thank you for the tip. I hope you are able to get some Nepitella. It is not easy to find here, although there are a few places that have it, either in seeds or plants, on a consistent basis. Thanks to a handful of chefs this herb is beginning to be better known among cooks. I am glad to hear you enjoyed the cicerchie and kale soup. Alla prossima!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 5:44 am |
Sempre gustose preparazioni qua da te cara, e magnificamnete presentate, complimenti!!!!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 8:05 am |
Grazie Simona. Quest’olio e molto saporito, lisce e pulito.
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 12:54 pm |
What a beautiful salad and the lemon oil sounds delicious! For Christmas, my daughter and son-in-law gave me some olive oil and delicious fig vincotto from Olio2Go. The lemon and herbs oil sounds wonderful! I’m your newest subscriber 🙂 I love Italian food.
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 1:22 pm |
Benvenuta!
What a pleasure to hear from another Olio2go customer. With today’s rampant food fraud, the only way the consumer can be confident they are getting pure unadulterated products is to purchase from a reliable retailer. Olio23go certainly fits the bill, and their catalogue is an absolute treasure trove. Fig vincotto! Che meraviglia! I adore vincotto. I will have to scoot over to your site and see if you have used it in any recipes. Thank you for stopping by. Alla prossima!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 1:47 pm |
I absolutely love mushrooms and this looks SO good. I bet the flavor combination is just divine! And thanks for your kind words over on my blog – only about a month and a half til our baby arrives. It’s crazy how time flies! I’m hoping to get a pregnancy update up on my blog within the next 2 weeks! =)
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 5:25 pm |
Hi Amy,
This surely is one for mushroom lovers – no doubt about that. I wonder if your little one will love them too??? I look forward to your update!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 1:59 pm |
This sounds like a delightful olive oil, Adri! I do like to use flavor infused OO from tie to tie and this sounds delicious.
Thank you so much for all your kind comments the past few weeks. I really appreciated your comments on my post about the Poise products. So many women seem unable or unwilling to share their experiences, which is a shame, as we could all help each other that way. I think ad campaigns such as these will help over time.
It has been a busy time for me, lately, as I am trying to prepare my house as soon I will be caring for my baby granddaughter during the day when my daughter goes back to work full time. It will be fun but also a challenge! I a looking forward to it and keeping y blog going — her nap time will be well used by me! 🙂
Thanks for your continued support! I’ going to look at your posts that i missed now –I always love your wonderful posts!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 5:32 pm |
Hi Pat,
This oil is wonderful. I hope you have an opportunity to try some. I bet you will love it. You have had such a big change with your move. It must be quite an adjustment. The really great news is that your surroundings are so beautiful, so majestic, that a walk outside will remind you of what a wonderful world it is. I think you are right about the Poise products; there is no reason for women to avoid the discussion and help one another in the process. Kudos to you for keeping the conversation going.
What fun taking care of your granddaughter. She and you daughter are most fortunate to have you. There is no one better equipped to take care of a baby than a family member. Brava, Nonna!
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 2:14 pm |
Lovely salad, Adri!
Agrumato has become something of an obsession (I have just a few)…I look for oils that are pressed with the fruit, rather than “infused” with them; nice, but completely different. I recently tasted a California brand producing estate oils – Lucero. They bottle a crushed Meyer lemon oil I like very much.
I’m intrigued by Nepitella – it’s time to plan my herb garden, and I’ll look out for the seeds or plants. Is it similar to the catmint I grew once that took over my whole bed?
Thursday, April 18th 2013 at 5:49 pm |
Thank you Karen!
Agrumato rocks. No doubt about it. I agree with you that the finest are produced by crushing the fruit, both olive and citrus, together. I think the oils will become quite popular. These oils are refreshing and flavorful, plus their versatility is remarkable. I have a particular fondness for lighter oils, and so those from Abruzzo with their light fruity character and slightly grassy taste suit me perfectly. They are not as light as those from Liguria, another of my favorite regions for oil. Abruzzo produces less oil than many other regions and has three DOP designations. I hope you have an opportunity to taste some.