EVOO - Oooooohhhhh My!

Yesterday my daughter and I went to Whole Foods on the way home from my trip to Asheville and I let her talk me into buying a special bottle of olive oil.  OH MY GOSH!  It's the absolute best I've ever had and it comes in lots of flavors.  If you don't have a Whole Foods nearby (and since this is made in Georgia and local for me - it may not be in all Whole Foods stores) - you can find it here at Sweetwater Growers .  Here is what I made for dinner tonight.

2 tablespoons Roasted Garlic Basil EVOO from Sweetwater Growers
1 leek washed and cut in narrow strips
1 small box cherry tomatoes
2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Heat EVOO and add leeks and tomatoes.  Saute for about 10 minutes until leeks begin to turn golden and tomatoes split a little.  Add spinach and wilt.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook some pasta - I used linguine.  Drain and pour enough olive oil (I used about 2 tablespoons) to moisten pasta.  Serve vegetable saute over pasta and top with your favorite cheese (I used shredded Fontina Val D'Aosta).

I try to use EVOO whenever I can - it's the only oil I have in my house.  But I also like a buttery taste so usually end up using a tiny amount of butter in dishes like this.  No need with THIS EVOO!  It tasted buttery without a bit of butter in it!  YUM!

And just a PS on my trip to Asheville and my step-father's surgery.  He did remarkably well for an 86 year old.  The surgery (aortic valve replacement and two bypasses) was about 3 1/2 hours and he was in ICU for less than 24 hours.  They had just brought him to his room in the Progressive Care Unit yesterday as we came in to see him so we were able to visit for awhile longer than we would have if he'd still been in ICU.  He was up in a chair and had already been 'walking the halls' that morning.  I have to say that Mission Memorial Hospital has some of the nicest people working for them - everyone was so helpful.