My friend and fellow-foodie, Sloane, introduced me to these incredible gourmet vinegars & olive oils at the Calabasas Farmer’s Market. Each vinegar and infused dipping oil is so delicious that it’s tough to pick which ones to get. They give you as many sample as you like, dipped in a tiny piece of bread, so if you live anywhere near Calabasas, take a trip to the wonderful Farmer’s Market in Old Town on a Saturday morning, and try some for yourself. They make fabulous gifts too—thought not cheap. A 12.7 oz bottle will cost you a whopping $30!
I ran over there at 1:05pm this past Saturday, hoping to grab a bottle of Pomegranate Balsamic for my Super Bowl Party Caprese Sticks, before they close, and was lucky to meet Lenny—one of the developers of Leonardo e Roberto’s Gourmet Blends.
He talked me into the White Balsamic Vinegar, which is slightly sweeter and less acidic; I’ll be trying that one on my salad tonight. He mixed it with the Basil Olive Oil, which I am now regretting not picking up. I guess I’ll be going back there this Saturday! I had purchased the Meyer Lemon Olive Oil when I first discovered them, and I find it to be a bit too lemony.
Since I discovered these vinegars, I have been looking forward to my dinner salad every day. I was getting so bored with the same old rice vinegar and olive oil or balsamic vinegar and olive oil nightly routine.
The complex, rich flavors of the vinegars are the perfect happy medium between a plain balsamic vinegar and a balsamic reduction—not to sweet and not too acidic. I sometimes add a little regular balsamic vinegar to my salad as well, so as not to use too much of this more concentrated one, which has a higher sugar and calorie content.
Click here for my Caprese on a Stick recipe, featuring the Pomegranate Balsamic (my current fav) >>
Click here for info on Gourmet Blends and to purchase online >>
I keep my olive oils and vinegars in easy-pour glass bottles, which I found at Bed Bath & Beyond. (You can find them at Amazon.com.)
Have you tried Gourmet Blends vinegars or olive oils?
Which are you favs and how do you use them? I would love to hear from you!
8 Responses
They have a new flavor… coconut balsamic vinegar. I used it last week to make a Thai inspired orange roughy and it was delicious! I highly recommend that you try it!
Tried the coconut balsamic today – super-yum!