Lowcountry Cuisine Fall/Winter 2017-18

www.LowcountryCuisineMag.com | www.MountPleasantRestaurant.com | www.CharlestonRecipes.com lowcountry cuisine LC owner Kyle Payne came to Max Blackman with an idea for selling the smoked olive oil he had been making as gifts for friends and family. After some research, Blackman built a cold smoking device that would keep the olive oil at the required 37-degree temperature. Using oil pressed from Northern California arbequina olives, they cold smoke it with hickory wood. Blackman said that customers use the smoked oil “... to finish things. Like a pan-seared steak or sautéed kale. Good for lightly frying eggs. You don’t want to take it over 300 degrees. Also good to mix in hummus or an accouterment to a charcuterie plate.” You can find them at farmers markets in the Lowcountry or at a number of small food shops, as well as at Harris Teeter stores. Today, the closest we have to locally grown and pressed olive oil comes from Georgia Olive Farms. It emerged in 2009 as a cooperative between farmers looking for climate- change-resistant crops and a crop to supplement their blueberries. They harvested the first commercial olive crop in the South in centuries in 2011. Georgia Olive Farms cold presses arbequino, arbosana and koroneiki olives the day after they are picked for their two types of extra virgin oil, a single varietal arbequino and a chef ’s blend. Local chef Sean Brock uses their oil at Husk. Jason and Laurie Benjamin started Lowcountry Olive Oils as a side business in 2011, selling infused oils and balsamic vinegar at farmers markets. They found there were flavors they could not get from their distributors, so they started infusing oils themselves. They opened their first brick and mortar store in 2013. The Benjamins are avid supporters of local products. They carry Olinda olives and Holy Smoke oils, along with Burnt & Salty sauces, Charleston Tea Plantation teas and others. They’re also the place to go if you want to try regional olive oil from Georgia Olive Farms. Jason explained why they’re so locally focused: “We started out in the farmers markets. When you work in the markets, you make some deep connections with the local community. So our goal is not just that we sell the olive oil and balsamic vinegars. We also have local products which we found at the farmers market. We try to keep everything as local as possible.” “... the closest we have to locally grown and pressed olive oil comes from Georgia Olive Farms” dish & design catering and events Catering to Charleston and surrounding areas since 1999. www.dishanddesign.com | 843.971.6701 PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY PARTIES AND MEALS WITH US NOW. CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. Get a 10% discount for parties booked by December 1st for Christmas Holiday Parties.