Thyme Dipping Oil

I love nibbling!  I am so happy with small plates at a meal or numerous snacks throughout the day – I am not exactly your 3 meal a day girl.  I am the person at a restaurant who asks everyone at the table to share with me so I can try a little bit of everything.  This recipe is an easy one and it is perfect for adding to a tapas menu or the beginning of a meal, but not one to take for granted.  It is one of those recipes that make you admire awesome ingredients.  Quality matters here.  The star ingredient is the olive oil.  Choosing the right olive oil is somewhat a personal endeavor (kind of like choosing a favorite wine).  Don’t just pick up the first bottle you see and certainly don’t go by price; just because it is the priciest bottle does not mean it is the best – which I should mention applies to most things in life.

For this recipe, I suggest using an extra virgin olive oil that comes from the first press of olives and is often greener in color.  Extra virgin olive oil has a much lower acidity level than other olive oils so it works really well for salads, marinades, serving with bread and other uncooked uses.  Olive oil is produced in many areas around the world and so differences exist there too.  Generally, Spanish olive oils have a fruity and nutty flavor, while Italian olive oils have more of an herbal aroma and Greek olive oils tend to have a stronger flavor.  You could also try a French or Californian olive oil as they are typically lighter in color and have a slightly milder flavor.  It’s really up to you and something to explore.  I personally have a few olive oils in my pantry, who said you have to pick one.

Once you have found an olive oil, the rest is pretty simple.  In this case, I have used thyme, lemon, garlic and red pepper flakes, but you can use whatever you wish.  Add or replace rosemary for thyme or change it completely and use some fresh basil, it’s completely up to you and your own inspiration.  I usually accompany the dipping oil with a rustic country or ciabatta loaf and place it in the middle of the table and let people tear pieces off of it as they wish…