Marques de Valdueza gave bottles of their olive oil to some of our retail staff to experiment with at home. This is what they discovered:

Marques de Valueza is a complex, well-rounded oil with a moderate mouthfeel. It is by no means over-assertive in any flavor category, though it favors vegetable and grassy notes that are well balanced with a light, but persistent sweetness and a mild pepperiness. In that vein, this oil elicits memories of boiled sweet turnips and steamed baby artichokes that have been dusted with black pepper and, though not from the same memory, a garnish of grass clippings.

Because of its flavor profile, Marques de Valdueza can be successfully used in a variety of applications. Its lack of bitterness and spiciness make it especially well suited as a dipping oil, or with more delicate pairings such as with salads, fresh vegetables, or fish. I found it to harmonize well with a snack of grilled bread topped with ripe tomato and dry pecorino. It also worked well added to flatbread dough, adding allure and depth to basic ingredients. I cannot quickly think of a circumstance where this oil’s characteristics would create discord with other foods.

Marques de Valdueza gave bottles of their olive oil to some of our retail staff to experiment with at home. This is what they discovered:

The dish that I cooked that worked really well with the Valdueza was lake trout with thinly sliced lemons, salt packed capers, and brown basmati rice. I put a thin layer of oil in a pan and cooked the fish in that, skin side down. I rinsed the capers, soaked them for about 10 minutes, put them on top of the fish, and then put the super thin lemon slices on top of that. I can’t remember how long I cooked it, but I cut into it and the fish was white the whole way through when it was finished. I also cooked the basmati rice while this was going on and dressed it with tamari. When the fish was done, I drizzled the Valdueza over the top of it, and it was spectacular. I finished the fish first, and then I soaked up all of the extra liquid with the rice. It was the first time I’ve had olive oil on rice like that, and it was surprisingly good.

I think what made the Valdueza work with this instead of another olive oil (like Pasolivo or Maussane) is the lightly green quality, so that it has enough flavor to work well with pretty strong foods (capers/lemons) but it doesn’t overpower the more subtle foods it’s with (like the trout).

Marques de Valdueza gave bottles of their olive oil to some of our retail staff to experiment with at home. This is what they discovered:

A delicious but very subtle oil. Its own flavor can be hard to detect in finished dishes, which for chefs may be desirable when a neutral oil is required. I used it to make a sofrito, fried an egg in it, finished pasta, bruschetta, and panzanella, and dressed green beans. Less dominant flavors like the fried egg and green beans best showcased the oil’s own flavor notes. It worked well as an element in the other dishes.

My favorite uses for it were dipping bread and combined with honey on toast.
I find it to have a pleasant hint of banana and thought I might try frying bananas in it but have not yet.

Marques de Valdueza gave bottles of their olive oil to some of our retail staff to experiment with at home. This is what they discovered:

The oil:
Marqués de Valdueza is an extra virgin olive oil from the Spanish region of Extremadura which is made from the arbequina, picual, hojiblanca and morisca olive varieties. Each of the olives, the way which they are harvested and pressed and other factors contribute to the flavor of the oil. For more details, visit their website. I would personally describe the oil as smooth, well-balanced, full-flavored, fruity and fresh. There is no bitterness to this oil and it leaves just the most minute sense of pepper as an afterthought on the throat. It coats the mouth well, but doesn’t leave an oily feeling on the palate. It has a very pronounced flavor which develops as you sip it. Feel free to visit me at Zingerman’s Deli to taste it with me. I am briefly introducing this oil because it was my homework to experiment with it at home in order to see how it works in different recipes and to get a better idea of its flavor and uses.

read more on Kerri’s blog here

Marques de Valdueza gave bottles of their olive oil to some of our retail staff to experiment with at home. This is what they discovered:

Marques de Valdueza has been a favorite of mine since working at the Deli. I particularly like its tropical fruitiness (although it is much less pronounced in this year’s harvest compared to last). I like that it is very well balanced and smooth, yet still very flavorful (fruity, a little green, and a touch of pepper) without being overpowering. I often put olive oil on my popcorn and I find this to be one of my favorites. It’s great with a sweet white wine vinegar such as agrodolce for a vinaigrette. Although I haven’t tried it yet, I think it would be great drizzled over a mild white fish or to pan fry an egg with. All in all, it is a great and very versatile finishing oil to have in my pantry.

We’ve been spending some time ripening our French Bries in-house, and THIS is the weekend for all of Ann Arbor (and beyond) to take advantage of our hard work. Our current selection of this soft, mold-ripened cows milk cheese runs the flavor gamut: milky Brie d’Nangis, mushroomy Brie le Fougerous, and even a ripe and funky (in a good way, seriously!) Camembert. While some might yawn when they think of Brie, it has remained a staple at the deli for a reason and we’re proud to showcase our spectacular, artisan-produced selection of this French classic. We like to enjoy Brie as simply as possible–with a little bread, a little fruit, and maybe (ok, most likely) a glass of whatever wine is laying around. You might prefer to schmear it over a burger or bake it in a puff pastry. Or use it as a dip for french fries. Or eat it with a spoon. With a cheese this good, it’s hard to go wrong.

A couple of years ago some of our staff was out in San Fransisco for a food show and stumbled across a charcuterie shop out there that was selling cones with artfully arranged meaty tidbits inside. They brought the idea back to Ann Arbor with them and thus was born the Zingerman’s Meat Cone! Combining food with art, it is particularly appropriate for this week in Ann Arbor as we welcome the Ann Arbor Art Fairs again this week. We take a paper cone (think paper drinking cone but with a hole in the bottom), and fill it with a few of our favorite meats and then hand it over to you! Generally we include a salami, a cured ham, one of our delicious pates, and then top it all off with a cornichon (sour french-style gherkin). We can work on a theme such as country of style (I’m kind of digging Italy today, but that’s bound to change), but my favorite meat cones to make are the folks who come to the counter and ask for “a meat cone, dealers choice”, and we’ll put together a cone with what we think is new/interesting/tasting fantastic in our meat selection at the moment. Perfect for one with a nice thick slice of bread and a bit of cheese for a meal, or for two to share as a snack or appetizer to one of our classic deli sandwiches. So come in for a meat cone today, and discover a new favorite in the meat case!