Green Lemon Olive Oil

Well, I've done it.  I've managed to savour my last drops of Green Lemon Oil from O&Co (RIP London store which closed its doors this year in February).  I only used it for the best recipes and when the can started to get very very light, some would say empty, I turned it on its side to let the drops gather better and then onto its top for the final pool of green lemon magic.

My discovery of this sumptuous oil came late.  On a visit with my parents my mom was thrilled to find the oil on the very very picked over, last days, while shops last shelves.  She told me how she uses the oil, tossing it with a medley of pre-cooked canned beans and a wee bit of salt.  Perhaps a squeeze of juice from their abundant Meyer Lemon tree out back (Southern California is quite generous with its citrus).  Since then my variations on her recipe have gone all the way to clay baked gigantes with greek oregano.

And I branched out, too.  I bought some lovely little wild sea bass filets from my fishmonger and diced my way to ceviche heaven, adding just a bit of lime juice and some shallot and coriander leaf. I tried it again with mackerel, sublime.  I oven dried tomatoes and served them on slices of bread drizzled lightly with the nectar.  I imagine that had I been able to hold out until peach season the oil would have lent its delicious bitter and warm flavor to the stone fruit, maybe with a touch of avocado, some fresh feta and heirloom tomato.

I suppose I could find the O & Co genius oil somewhere else, maybe online, maybe in Paris.  I will look.  But until then I will wax sentimental and leave the tin on the shelf as a reminder.