Farmer's Market Recipe With La Nogalera Walnut Oil

Wandering around the Santa Monica Farmers market, I stumbled upon a luxurious new find: La Nogalera Walnut oil. It’s locally harvested oil from the Central California Coast made from 100% premium quality walnuts. The rich creaminess and nutty flavor of this oil would be good on almost anything. It wasn’t cheap, but you don’t need much more than a couple of drops to add substantial flavor.  Here’s just one of the dishes I have concocted with this awesome oil.

Green Beans with Porcini Mushrooms and La Nogalera Walnut Oil

Ingredients:

1 lb Green beans (washed, ends removed)

8oz Crimini mushrooms (cleaned and sliced)

3 cloves garlic (smashed and minced)

1 tablespoon La Nogalera Walnut oil

Large bowl of ice water (for blanching)

1 tablespoon olive oil

White sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:

First, you want to blanch your green beans. Blanching the beans ensures that they keep their beautiful bright green color and a bit of crispness to their bite.  To do this you will need to bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a low rumbling boil. Once the water has reached a boil, add the green beans. Boil the beans for 2 minutes or just until slightly tender. When the beans have boiled for about two – three minutes remove them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon, and place them quickly into the cold ice water bath. You want the texture to be crisp outside and soft within. Allow them to sit in the cold water for a minute, and then drain the beans in a colander.

While the beans are drying, sauté the mushrooms and garlic in a frying pan. Allow your frying pan to become hot over med-high heat before adding your oil. Once the pan is hot add the olive oil and the sliced mushrooms. Sauté for about two minutes, stir the mushrooms around, and then add a pinch of salt and the minced garlic. Turn the heat down to medium, and sauté for another two minutes - careful not to burn the garlic. When the mushrooms have caramelized, they are done. Remove the pan from the heat, and set aside.

To plate the green beans toss them in the La Nogalera Walnut Oil in your serving bowl of choice, then top with your garlic mushrooms, and garnish with white sesame seeds. This recipe is so simple and quick. The walnut oil really brings a creamy rich element to what is a normally basic side dish.  

Not in L.A.? No problem, order the oil online at www.lanogalerawalnutoil.com