Gourmet Oils and Vinegars

At last year?s Connoisseur?s Marketplace in Menlo Park, I discovered a vendor of oils and vinegars that really impressed me. I was originally searching for Meyer lemon olive oil, but after I tried most of the flavors, I went home with quite a few of my favorites. I selected dipping sauces, specialty olive oils and flavored balsamic vinegars. Pastamoré is distributed in California by Nan?s Gourmet Foods. This year I added even more of their products to my collection. I use the fig and the pomegranate balsamic vinegars frequently for salad dressings and marinades. The new blackberry balsamic vinegar is great with fresh blackberries over vanilla or homemade balsamic ice cream.

For an easy summer entrée, we grilled zucchini, yellow squash, onions, red peppers and boneless chicken breast brushed with the Meyer lemon olive oil. I served the mixture over the new Pastamoré Artichoke Hearts linguine tossed with a little more of the same olive oil. Add Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme for a colorful dinner on the patio.