Ready to test your extra virgin olive oil chops? See how many of these questions you can answer correctly.

Thanks to California Olive Ranch for the test and photos. Their premium olive oils are so delicious, you can drink them from the spoon (two tablespoons a day are recommended by the FDA for heart health).

Before you buy an oil labeled “extra virgin,” check the label for a seal from a sensory and certification panel, like www.appliedsensory.com/, that says “Certified Extra Virgin.”

If there is no seal, check the ingredients label. The only ingredient listed should be extra virgin olive oil.

A few years ago, Dr. Oz popularized the so-called “fridge test” on his nationally syndicated TV show. But, according to olive oil experts, that test is “unreliable in judging whether an olive oil is truly made from olives, nor does it provide information on the quality of the oil.”

In our experience with a dozen different types of oil, from avocado to pumpkinseed to sesame, most will solidify in the fridge the different culinary oils.
 
 
QUESTION #1:
WHICH GRADE OF OLIVE OIL IS THE HEALTHIEST?

A. Light Olive Oil
B. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
C. Virgin Olive Oil

Answer: B

The amount of fat and calories in all olive oils (and other culinary oils) are the same. Extra virgin olive oil has the greatest amount of phenolic compounds, which are strong antioxidants and radical scavengers. EVOO is thus the healthiest olive oil.

 
Check out our Olive Oil Glossary for more about olive oil.
 
 
QUESTION #2:
WHAT DOES THE COLOR OF THE OLIVE OIL INDICATE?

A. Quality
B. Freshness
C. Purity
D. None of the above

Answer: D

Color is an unreliable indicator of quality, freshness or purity. Good oils come in all shades, from bright green to gold to pale straw, based on the type(s) of olive, ripeness and other factors.

Plus, unscrupulous producers can doctor the color by adding chlorophyll, to get the green tint that many customers think represents “quality.”

One reason people may have been encouraged to go for the green: It has been widely reported that a green color may indicate higher levels of antioxidant polyphenols.

Flavor and aroma are better gauges of quality. When you smell and taste an extra virgin olive oil, it should taste like fruit (the olives) and fresh herbs, ranging from mild to complex.
 
 
QUESTION #3:
FOR WHICH PURPOSE(S) SHOULD YOU USE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

A. Baking
B. Deep Frying
C. Finishing
D. Roasting
E. Salad Dressings
F. Sautéing

Answer: All of the above!

Home cooks in the Mediterranean have been cooking and baking with extra virgin olive oil for centuries. High-quality extra virgin olive oil from a top brand like California Olive Ranch has a smoke point of upwards of 425°F, well above the ideal frying temperature of around 350°F.

A general rule of thumb: The higher the quality of the oil and the fresher it is, the higher the smoke point will be. Extra virgin olive is some of the freshest and highest quality oil available, full of antioxidants to help hold its form longer.

Lower quality oils with a high free fatty acid content, on the other hand, will smoke at a lower temperature.
 
 
QUESTION #4:
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WITH A FINE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL?

A. Display it out on the counter.
B. Save it and use it for only very special occasions.
C. Use it frequently so it’s all finished within a month or two of opening.
D. Let it age for a year or two in the cabinet, away from heat and light.

Answer: C

Some cooks like to have different extra virgin olive oils for different recipes. California Olive Ranch’s Destination Series (photo # 1) is a line of workhorse extra virgin olive oils.

[1] Extra virgin olive oil, like wine, is available in different qualities. Like wine, the oils made from the pick of the harvest are more complex. Just as good “everyday” olive oil like California Olive Oil’s Destination Series can be used for cooking and vinaigrettes (all photos © California Olive Ranch).

[2] Bake with EVOO, get so much better flavor than with other oils, and eliminate the cholesterol. Try this scrumptious olive oil cake.

[3] Use a more complex olive oil to drizzle onto soups for flavor, while you can use your everyday EVOO to brush onto shrimp.

[4] A harvester, bringing olives from the trees to the mill for washing and pressing.

[5] A bottle of fine olive oil is a great gift for anyone who enjoys fine food.

Olive oil does not get better with age! If you wait to use your a fine EVOO only for special occasions, it may go rancid before you’re able to finish it.

Pay attention to the “best by date” on the label, and use the oil within 1-2 months, once opened.

Be sure to store the bottle away from light and heat, two factors that will break down the oil and make it rancid more quickly.

[1] Four new “bountiful” include whole grains and legumes for added nutrition, flavor and fun. Here, Dole Bountiful Fiesta Ranch Salad Kit (all photos © Dole Food Company).

[2] Dole Bountiful Lentil Cucumber Salad Kit.

[3] Dole Bountiful Sweet Thai Salad Kit.

[4] Dole Bountiful Triple Quinoa Salad Kit.

[5] That’s Tasty organic Italian herb purée (photo © That’s Tasty | Shenandoah Growers).

[6] Seasoning salmon with Spicy Harissa (photo courtesy © That’s Tasty | Shenandoah Growers).

[7] This basil strawberry shortcake adds some basil to the whipped cream. You can also toss the strawberries with fresh basil (photo courtesy © That’s Tasty | Shenandoah Growers).

[7] Adding a bit of parsley to a citrus vinaigrette (photo courtesy © That’s Tasty | Shenandoah Growers).

Our two products of the week are veggie innovations. In alphabetical order, we present:
 
 
1. DOLE: BOUNTIFUL SALAD KITS

When bagged salad kits, complete with dressing, first appeared, we thought: Why pay this price for added dressing? It’s just as easy to take a bag of salad greens and dress them with our standard vinaigrette: balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Then, we took home a bag of Dole’s Classic Caesar Kit and we were hooked. With added chicken Caesar, salmon or just plain, we ate so many Caesar salads (a lifelong favorite) that we had to move on to other salads.

The proliferation of salad kit ideas from Dole has made our daily choice(s) fun; there are so many choices that we never get “salad fatigue.”

From the Slawsome line to the new Bountiful salads, the add-ons—nuts, seeds, crunchy noodles and other toppers has made salad time “fun time.”

In between meals—we don’t have to make the wrong choice. There’s always a salad kit in the fridge. And now:
 
Dole Bountiful Kits

Leave it to Dole to debut another innovation in salad kits: adding legumes and whole grains for more nutrition, texture, and palate-and-eye appeal.

Each bag of chopped lettuces, vegetables and dressing contains a packet of proteins and fashionable fiber: beans, chickpeas, corn, edamame, lentils, quinoa and rice. They represent Dole’s “widest use of plant-based protein ever.”

While it’s au courant to tout them, as Dole does, as created for “flexitarian and paleo lifestyles,” containing the top superfood trends of ancient grains, kale and seeds, anyone who wants a good salad should try a bag.

Make that four bags: one of each flavor.

 
There’s no way we would have thought to put these combinations together, not to mention put together the legumes and grains to mix in. We’ve been eating a bag a day, along with our alternating our two “regular” favorite Dole salad kits: Chopped Sesame Asian Salad and Chopped Sunflower Crunch Salad.

The great thing is, there will never be “salad fatigue.”

When we have grown weary of any particular combination, Dole has many more.

And doubtless, more to come.

Thanks to Dole for giving us so much choice, and for tempting those family members who “don’t like salad.” Now they do!

For more information, visit Dole.com.
 
 
2. THAT’S TASTY: ORGANIC STIR-IN PURÉES

If you like to cook, we have something great for you: That’s Tasty Stir-In Purées, organic herb purées in easy-to-use tubes.

They solve the problem of buying fresh herbs, only to see the majority of the bunch yellow and wither before you can finish using it.

Once opened, a tube of That’s Tasty Stir-In Purée stays fresh-tasting for six months (in the fridge).

That’s Tasty may be the simplest way to add fresh herb flavor to any meal. The concentrated purées add a ton of flavor to just about any savory dish you’re preparing (some sweet ones, too, like the Strawberry Basil Shortcake in photo #7).

 
We love them.
The flavors are so close to fresh, you won’t notice the difference. The eight Stir-In flavors include:

 
The main ingredient is blended with organic sunflower oil and organic olive oil.

That’s Tasty is a brand from Shenandoah Growers, the largest grower of fresh organic culinary herbs in the U.S. The brand offers living organic herb plants, fresh-cut herbs, lettuce microgreens. All products are non-GMO.

For more information, visit ThatsTasty.com.

If you use noncaloric sweeteners, we have a new one for you to try.

It’s a blend of stevia and monkfruit from Whole Earth Sweetener Co.

Our previous sweetener of choice had been Splenda, or sucralose (not to be confused with sucrose, table sugar). Sucralose is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute.

For people who avoid Splenda as a chemical additive, the Stevia & Monkfruit product from Whole Earth Sweeteners:

 
It dissolves easily in cold drinks—just right for summer iced coffee, iced tea and lemonade.

And if you prefer retro “sugar” cubes for your hot coffee, that format is available too, as is a liquid in plain plus flavors.
 
 
BETTER THAN STEVIA OR MONKFRUIT ALONE

Frankly, we enjoy neither monkfruit nor stevia as individual sweeteners. But Whole Earth has created a much tastier blend.

In fact, the product name, “Stevia & Monkfruit,” is a bit misleading. It’s a blend of three noncaloric sweeteners: erythritol, stevia leaf extract and monkfruit extract.

All are natural (not chemical) products, and all have a low glycemic index (i.e., are diabetic friendly).

So why leave out erythritol, when it’s the first ingredient by weight? Well…

Stevia and monkfruit are part of the current culinary conversation, and most consumers who use noncaloric sweeteners don’t know what erythritol is.
 
 
WHAT IS ERYTHRITOL?

Erythritol, a sugar alcohol, is a natural sweetener that has been used for some time, often found in sugar-free hard candies and gum.

It is a sugar alcohol like maltitol, which may be more familiar to consumers. It has a clean, sweet taste that’s similar to sucrose (table sugar). Unlike maltitol, it does not have a laxative effect.

Erythritol is naturally present in such fruits as grapes and melons, in mushrooms and in fermented foods such as wine, soy sauce and cheese.
 
 
WHAT IS MONKFRUIT?

Monkfruit is a natural sweetener made from the extract of a small Asian melon, lo han kuo (also spelled lo han guo and luo han kuo, botanic name Siraitia grosvenorii).

The sweetener derived from the fruit has been used in China and Southeast Asia for generations.

It is very stable under high temperature and thus suitable for cooking and baking.
 
 
WHAT IS STEVIA?

Stevia is derived from a South American herb, Stevia rebaudiana.

[1] Sweeten your coffee with a packet or cube, or spoon it from the jar. Whole Earth sweeteners offer all the formats you need (all photos © Whole Earth Sweeteners / Merisant.

[2] Bake your favorite cookies and cakes.

[3] Sprinkle from the jar onto baked apples, on grapefruit and cereal.

[4] There are even liquid drops, plain or flavored, for cold drinks (first item in photo).

Lesser-quality stevia can have a subtle anise or licorice flavor, but this does not occur with the better-quality products. The stevia used in the blend is a top-of-the-line product called Starleaf.
 
 
Ready to try it? Here’s a store locator.

[1] Turn your cupcake or muffin pan into a buffet of toppings for breakfast foods.

[2] Do the same for a green salad, here blue cheese, pears, pecans and raisins (here’s the recipe from Letty’s Kitchen).

Here, yummy ideas for breakfast, salads and desserts. Customizing one’s food is so very enjoyable.

Ready, set, garnish!
 
 
BREAKFAST GARNISHES

Many of us start the day with a bowl of oatmeal or Cheerios, yogurt or cottage cheese.

Here’s how to turn the everyday bowl into the “weekend special”:

Fill your cupcake or muffin pan with a “buffet” of toppings. In this pan, a choice of fresh and dried fruits and nuts:

 
You can also include:

 
The same concept works for dessert: ice cream, pudding, sorbet, etc.

If you’re having eggs for breakfast, you can use most of the green salad garnishes below.

Use the same idea for DIY salad garnishes:

 
You can adapt the same concept to toppings for baked potatoes, grains and vegetables.
 
We just love food ideas that are both delicious, nutritious and fun!

Thanks to Almond Breeze for a great idea.

Do you love to cook?

According to Flavor & The Menu, which advises professional chefs on culinary trends, there are five herbs you may not have tried that are waiting to become the next hot flavor trends.

Chervil, hyssop, lemon balm, lovage and nettles: Look for them the next time you’re at a farmer’s market or a specialty produce store.

The first four herbs are native to Europe. The fifth, nettles, originated in the Americas. All began as medicinal herbs before they made their way into the kitchen.

As a general definition:

 
In everyday cuisine:

 
Chervil, Anthriscus cerefolium is a member of the the Apiaceae family (also known as the carrot, celery and parsley family). It is native to the Caucasus, and was spread by the Romans through most of Europe.
 
 
2. HYSSOP

Hyssop (HIH-sup), Hyssopus officinalis, is native to Europe and is commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine.

Only the leaves are edible. They have a bitter, but intensely minty flavor. In addition to use in the spice blend za’atar, cooks are beginning to incorporate hyssop into kombucha, salads, seafood dishes, tartare and teas. The edible flowers are variously blue, pink and purple.

Anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) a relative, is native to North America. It looks and tastes similar, but is of a different genus.

Both varieties are members of the Lamiaceae family, a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint or sage family. Other family members include basil, lavender, marjoram, mint, oregano, perilla (shisho), rosemary, sage, savory and thyme.

It’s not the Biblical hyssop. A plant called hyssop has been used antiquity and appears in the Exodus, Hebrews, John, Kings, Leviticus, Matthew, Mark and Numbers (more).

But researchers suggest that this mention refers not to modern hyssop, but rather to a different herb (source). Capers and marjoram are the leading contenders.

Hyssop was long a medicinal herb, used for digestive and intestinal problems, loss of appetite and respiratory problems.

For centuries now, a culinary herb, cooks use the fresh leaves like other delicate herbs, in pastas, salads and soups. The colorful flowers can be used for garnishes.

You’re more likely to find hyssop in dried form. Don’t use these rough dried herbs in pastas or salads, but to infuse flavor into sauces and soups (place them in a spice ball/tea ball).
 
 
3. LEMON BALM

[1] Chervil (photo © Herbal Table [website closed]).

[2] Hyssop leaves (photo © Herbs Unlimited).

[3] Lemon balm (photo © Burpee).

[4] Lovage (photo courtesy Good Eggs).

[5] Nettles (photo © Good Eggs).

The herb is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae (as are hyssop and lovage). It is delicious in:

 
Lemon balm is also a popular scent in beauty products, and is frequently added to potpourri.

As a medicinal herb, lemon balm has mild sedative properties. It has long been used to reduce stress and anxiety, encourage sleep, improve appetite, and ease discomfort from indigestion.

Sources date the medicinal use of lemon balm back some 2000 years, with the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was introduced into Spain in the 7th century, and was subsequently planted throughout Europe.
 
 
4. LOVAGE

Levisticum officinale, a member of the the Apiaceae family (also known as the carrot, celery and parsley family), is native to Southern Europe and the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean.

Little known in the U.S., lovage was standard in medieval herb gardens. As with the other herbs here, it was used medicinally before it moved into the kitchen.

Lovage dates back to ancient Greece, where the leaves were chewed to aid with digestion and gas (source).

As a culinary herb, lovage is sometimes called sea parsley for its slightly saline flavor. The leaves and stems have a refreshing vegetal flavor: They’re often described as a cross between celery and parsley. The seeds have a flavor similar to fennel. The flowers and roots are edible.

 
 
5. NETTLES

Nettles are slightly bitter green herbs that taste a bit like spinach with a cucumber accent.

Some species have stinging (prickly) hairs, in which case they are called stinging nettles (Urtica dioica)—and are the source of the word “nettlesome.”

They are plants in the genus Urtica in the family Urticaceae (not surprisingly called the nettle family). One needs to pick them with gloves.

The word “urticate” derives from medieval Latin for “stung.” The chemicals in the stinging hairs are neutralized by soaking in water, blanching or cooking.

Indigenous to North America and a key ingredient in Native American cuisine and medicine, nettles grow wild and are foraged in the countryside.

 
Medicinally, stinging nettle has been used for to treat anemia, arthritis, eczema, gout, painful muscles and joints, and urinary problems.

Here’s more about nettles.
 
 
We hope you have the opportunity to get to know these herbs. Perhaps they’ll become as common in your repertoire as basil and parsley.