An Autumn Evening Supper with St. Helena Olive Oil Co.

I absolutely adore Fall. The changing of the leaves, the crisp mornings, and the amazing Farmer’s Market produce. There’s nothing better than sharing a delicious, seasonal meal with loved ones and it’s even more special when you put a little extra effort into the table décor. I can’t even tell you how excited I am to partner with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. on the launch of their Our Table Set — it’s something that has taken my table to the next level and I know you’re going to die over it!

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When Emily, a friend of mine and one of the sisters behind family and women run St. Helena Olive Oil Co. reached out to collaborate on some recipes, I was beyond excited. If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I'm obsessed with their products. I can't (and won’t!) stop raving about them. Beyond that, St. Helena Olive Oil Co. embodies everything I stand for — sisters Emily and Kaelin are all about slowing down to enjoy not only delicious food but also the company at the table. They support their local community and are just the nicest people.

I’m so excited to be sharing simple, fresh, delicious, vegetable-forward recipes that pair perfectly with their amazing olive oils + balsamic vinegars over the next couple of months!

This specific Autumn dinner highlights some of my favorite Fall Farmer’s Market ingredients and features St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Our Table Set. They’ve curated an insanely beautiful set filled with their Napa Valley Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar Methode Tradizionale, Fleur de Sel, off-white mudcloth napkins, and an olive oil pour spout. It’s the perfect treat-yourself moment but it also makes an amazing gift for the holidays. It’s perfect for that person who loves to cook and entertain but has everything (or is impossible to buy gifts for!). I know you’ll love it as much as I do.

Ok - now it’s time to talk recipes + show you what we put together for dinner! Here’s the line-up —

Harvest Gem Salad — Gem Lettuce | Apple | Pepitas | Pomegranate Arils | Goat Cheese | St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Autumn Risotto with Balsamic Drizzle — Butternut Squash | Leeks | Thyme | St. Helena Olive Oil Co. BV Tradizionale

Chocolate + EVOO Sundae — Chocolate Ice Cream | Whipped Cream | St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Napa Valley Blend EVOO | Fleur De Sel | Toasted Pistachio

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HARVEST GEM SALAD WITH ST. HELENA OLIVE OIL CO. BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

This is one of my favorite Fall salads — the vinaigrette is so delicious + creamy and super versatile! Feel free to have fun with this one and sub in any of your favorite seasonal ingredients. Persimmons, roasted (+cooled) squash, pears, blue cheese, etc. would all be delicious in this!

Serves 5 as a side salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tsp minced shallot

• 2 Tbsp St. Helena Olive Oil Co. BV Tradizionale

• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• 1/2 cup St. Helena Olive Oil Co. Napa Valley Blend EVOO

• Kosher Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 10 oz gem lettuce (3-4 heads, depending on their size)

• 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced

• 1/4 cup pepitas, lightly toasted

• Arils from 1 pomegranate

• 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

METHOD

1. Add the shallot, BV Tradizionale, lemon juice, orange juice, Dijon and honey into a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running, slowly stream in the EVOO until you’re left with a smooth, emulsified dressing. Add a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

2. In a large salad bowl, combine whole gem lettuce leaves, sliced apples, toasted pepitas, pomegranate arils and crumbled goat cheese and toss with the balsamic dressing, to taste. Enjoy!

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AUTUMN RISOTTO WITH ST. HELENA OLIVE OIL CO. BALSAMIC DRIZZLE

Risotto might have to be one of my favorite dishes of all time. I like to customize the flavors based on the season and this Fall version with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. BV Tradizionale might have to be my ultimate favorite. The Balsamic reduction ties the entire dish together — guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser!

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces

• 3 Tbsp St. Helena Olive Oil EVOO

• Kosher salt

• 6 sprigs thyme, plus a few additional for garnish

• 1/2 cup St. Helena Olive Oil BV Tradizionale

• 2 quarts vegetable stock

• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

• 1 cup thinly sliced leek

• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

1. Roast the Squash — Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. On a large sheet tray, toss the butternut squash pieces with the EVOO and a couple of pinches of Kosher salt. Scatter the sprigs of thyme on top and transfer to the preheated oven to cook. Flip the squash after 15 minutes and cook an additional 15 minutes on the second side, or until the squash is tender and slightly brown around the edges. Set aside.

2. Make the Balsamic Drizzle — Meanwhile, in a small non-reactive saucepan, add the BV Tradizionale. Simmer over low heat until the balsamic has reduced by half and has become a syrupy consistency (will yield ~1/4 cup total), about 5 minutes. Make sure to watch it closely and swirl it around intermittently to avoid burning. Set aside to cool.

3. Make the Risotto — Heat the vegetable stock in a stock pot over medium heat until warm. Turn off the heat and cover the stock with a lid.

4. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat and add 4 Tbsp of the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the leeks along with a pinch of kosher salt and cook until the leeks are soft but not brown, about 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the rice to the softened leeks. Stir to coat the rice and cook for a couple of minutes until the rice has turned opaque, about 2-3 minutes. You don’t want the rice to brown, so turn down the heat, if necessary.

6. With the heat on medium-low, add the white wine and stir. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, add about 1 cup of the warm stock. Stir often, about every 20-30 seconds. Once the majority of the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladle-full of stock.

7. Repeat this process — adding 1 cup of stock and stirring about every 20-30 seconds until the rice has absorbed each addition of stock — until all of the stock has been used and the rice is cooked to al dente, about 20-30 minutes.

8. Turn off the heat and fold in the roasted butternut squash, grated parmesan cheese, and remaining 2 Tbsp butter.

9. Serve in bowls and finish with a generous drizzle of the reserved balsamic reduction and a couple sprigs of thyme. Serve immediately.

NOTES

• I want to share the “why’s” on a couple of key steps in the risotto making process — I learned these tips in culinary school. I hope you learn something new!

  • Step 5: This step is important because it coats the grains of rice in butter fat, which acts as a buffer on the outside of the rice. This layer of butter on each grain of rice prevents the rice from absorbing the stock too quickly. A slower absorption of stock means more time to stir the risotto, which results in a creamier end product.

  • Steps 6-7: Stirring the risotto often but not constantly is key to a good risotto. Stirring the risotto agitates the rice grains which allows them to release starch, resulting in a creamy end product. If you stir constantly, you risk a gummy, too-thick risotto. By the time the risotto is done cooking, it should have a very slight bite to it and should be thick + creamy, but should still spread in the bowl when you plate it.

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CHOCOLATE SUNDAES WITH WHIPPED CREAM, PISTACHIOS AND ST. HELENA OLIVE OIL CO. EVOO

You might not think to eat olive oil with ice cream but trust me, after trying this recipe, you’ll never go back! The savory, peppery EVOO works perfectly with the sweet chocolate ice cream, luscious whipped cream, salty fleur de sel and crunchy, nutty pistachios. Store-bought ice cream makes this a stress-free dessert — this will be your new go-to!

Serves 5

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 tsp sugar

• Kosher salt

• 1 pint good quality store-bought chocolate ice cream (I prefer a darker chocolate ice cream — this is a personal favorite!)

• St. Helena Olive Oil EVOO

• Fleur de Sel

• Toasted pistachios

METHOD

1. Whisk the heavy whipping cream with the sugar and a small pinch of kosher salt until still peaks have formed.

2. Scoop the chocolate ice cream into little bowls. Top with a drizzle of EVOO and a dollop of the whipped cream. Sprinkle with a pinch of fleur de sel and finish with the toasted pistachios.

NOTES

• The whipped cream can be made the morning of. Just store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and before serving, transfer to a bowl and whip to refresh.

This is part of a paid partnership with St. Helena Olive Oil Co. All opinions are my own.