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May 05 News
It may be throwing it down with rain outside today, but believe it or not, summer’s round the corner, and weÂ’ll be dusting down the barbeque before we know it. We hope so, anyway, we’ve got half a ton of top quality Dorset charcoal to shift, so we’re praying for some warm weather. It’s from a sustainable source, so you needn’t worry about us burning down the New forest. The rain would put the fire out, anyway.
Time, then, to highlight our oils and vinegars, in preparation for salad season. At Mortimer and Bennett, we stock an oil for every occasion, some of them exclusively. Take Armando Per me (for me) is powerful and full bodied, and great over peppery, flavoured salad leaves while Per mi figlio (for my son) is gentler and softer, and more suited to lighter salad leaves, such as lamb’s lettuce, and over fish. They’re both powerful oils, so you don’t need to use nearly as much of the oils at a time (which is just as well, when you consider the price). Still not convinced? Well don’t take our word for it – ask your nearest local film star. Manni olive oil was featured in the gift boxes for winners and nominees of this year’s Oscars, so you’re in the company of Hilary Swank and Clint Eastwood.
As if that weren’t enough, we also stock another fabulous Tuscan olive oil; Poggio Lamentano oil has been described by Elizabeth David as ‘one of life’s supreme pleasures’. We’re one of two customers they have in the UK – the other one is Buckingham palace. Try swirling some of this into a summer minestrone – it makes the difference between good and godlike.
And if you’d like a change from olive oil, try our fantastic Organic Pumpkin Seed Oil. With a lovely roasted nut flavour, it’s a great choice for a rocket salad. Its nutty flavour is good on stir fries and cous cous, too. And it’s good for your prostate too, and you can’t say fairer than that.
A salad doesn’t always need a vinegar, but the right vinegar on the right leaf can be sensational. Before there was balsamic vinegar, there was Saba – made in a similar way to balsamic, it has a fantastic balance between sour and sweet, and is as good over your cheesecake as it would be on a salad.
Or try Banyuls, made in southern France from banyuls fortified wine. Imagine a vinegar made from port, and you’re on the way towards what this amazing vinegar can do. It’s aged for another five years in barrels, so it picks up flavours of prune, olive and chestnut along the way.
For a more astringent, sour hit to your dressing, our Verjuice hits the mark. An ancient condiment used a lot in medieval times, it’s made from the unripe grapes of cabernet sauvignon or riesling vines. Sharp, yet fruity, it’s great on salads, but its also useful as a deglazing agent.
So, you’ve got your oil, your vinegar, and, if you come down to the shop, the charcoal too. Now all we need is the weather. Fingers crossed.