The “Bold & Dynamic” Moroccan Olive Grove Olive Oil. Plus, a Recipe for Moje—the Murcia Salad
A while back, the New York Times breathlessly proclaimed that imported Mediterranean olive oil was of a negligible quality—something literally scraped from the bottom of the barrel for US consumption. Want the good stuff? The California Olive Oil Council-certified goods were, for all intents and purposes, your only option.
I don’t want to get into “libel” territory, but words like “olive oil cartel” and “planted story” come to mind. While surely there are less-than-stellar imported oils, many range from good to excellent. Like Moroccan Olive Grove.
There are variants, but their oils have one thing in common that most of their ilk don’t: They taste like actual olives. Not just a hint, but the type of pungent flavor you get when sinking your teeth into a proper Mediterranean olive. The “Bold & Dynamic” oil, in particular, delivers on its namesake promise. I’d drink it by the glassful if it were socially acceptable.
This type of olive oil deserves to be used in an oil-centric recipe, like the regional Spanish salad from Murcia: Moje. The salad primarily builds around tomatoes, tuna, and eggs, covered in a generous cup of olive oil. It’s also incredibly simple to assemble.
- 12 juicy tomatoes
- A good handful of finely chopped scallions
- A handful of pitted black olives
- 3-4 boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
- A can of tuna, drained
- 1 cup of olive oil
- Salt
Cut the tomatoes into small chunks, and put them (juices and all) in a bowl alongside the scallions and the olives. Add the eggs and tuna, and give it a quick stir. Pour the olive oil over the mixture and stir until the oil thoroughly coats everything. Feel free to toss in a pinch of salt if need be.
The salad tastes even better after resting in the fridge overnight.
Sources & Credits
Alas, I can’t find the Times story with the incriminating evidence—I suspect a cover-up. 🤷
Photo courtesy of La Masía.
Moroccan Olive Oil is available in some stores, as well as from their website.