Saratoga Olive Oil Company
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| Outside the Saratoga Olive Oil Company. You can’t tell me it doesn’t look like a fine wine shop. |
There is a new shop in town (has been open for 4 months) that is one of the most unique (and gorgeous) I’ve ever seen. If you’re a foodie like I am then you’ll appreciate the unusual flavors of olive oils and balsamic vinegars that the Saratoga Olive Oil Company carries in their store. We were able to spend some time in the shop as one of the stops on the Saratoga Food Tour.
The shop run by Clint and Barb, a husband and wife team are made from the freshest olive crushes from all over the world in order to give you the best quality product. The shop is set up so that you can taste any of the selections so that you can make an informed choice before you purchase. Some of the olive oil is from Europe, the standard Italian and Spanish but there are also other more exotic oils from Australia and Greece, among other places. Take some time and leisurely taste some of the oils. My favorite would have to be the Italian but I also liked the Australian which was very similar in taste and density. Let your mind race as mine did, creating new recipes as you taste each of the different oils.
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| Olive Oil tasting tables. Take a sample and try it on a piece of bread baked at a local bakery |
From there, take some time to try the flavored oils – garlic, basil, tarragon and many others. These make a great substitute for everyday extra virgin olive oil in salad dressings, but don’t stop there. I’m sure with some imagination you can find unlimited uses for these flavored oils.
Then there’s the balsamic vinegars — white ones which are aged up to 12 years and dark ones that are aged up to 18 years. My favorite is the blood orange dark balsamic that has an orange flavor that isn’t too overpowering or sweet and is almost flowery. I have a recipe in mind to try combining the tarragon oil and the blood orange balsamic. I don’t want to give it away but it has something to do with tomatoes.
The Saratoga Olive Oil Company although not in business for very long offers the best olive oil and balsamics you can find leaving a foodie with a head-full of ideas and if you experiment and are successful at creating an amazing recipe using one of their products be sure to share with them. They would love to get recipes for each product to put on cards to inspire others that come into the shop.
Hopefully they’ll like the tomato recipe….
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| Saratoga Olive Oil Company also offers a selection of soaps and lotions made from olive oil |
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| Cruets are made by a local potter and are also for sale at the shop.
All photographs were taken by Mark Bernard of Mark Bernard Photography. Mark also has a blog at saratoga.com/saratogasnapshots |