SG501: Olive Oil and Balsamics Epicure Terri Chaffer, Oilerie Maple Grove

Terri Chaffer with me in the studio, June 6, 2013

Terri Chaffer with me in the studio, June 6, 2013

In this episode of Still Growing…, I’m happy to welcome Olive Oil and Balsamics Epicure Terri Chaffer, Oilerie Maple Grove. Terri shares her experience as an “Oil Bar” owner and her passion for introducing quality oils and balsamics into our everyday cooking. We discuss the noble history of the olive tree, how olive oil is processed and marketed, as well as the many varieties Terri sells in her shop. Terri introduces the number one seller in her store – a 25 year aged balsamic – as well as nut oils and other sundries.

This episode is especially exciting for gardeners who are looking for new ways to prepare delicious dishes from their hard-won harvest this season. Terri shares simple, quick and amazing combinations with a variety veggies and fruits that are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. As you’ll hear from Terri, once you try truly high quality oils and balsamics, you won’t be able to be satisfied with anything less.

More specifically, in this episode you’ll find out about:

  • How Terri decided to become an Oilerie franchisee
  • Intriguing information about olive trees
  • EVOO and all the other olive oil presses and what they mean
  • The olive plant family
  • Olives: fruit or veggie? and other fun facts
  • Olive Oil Cultivars sold at the Oilerie
  • Oilerie Top Seller: 25 Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar
  • Nut Oils sold at The Oilerie
  • Easy Peasy Ways to Use Oils and Balsamics with your Garden Harvest specifically with: carrots, radish, garden greens, tomatoes, baby artichokes, squash, beans, peas, asparagus, corn, herbs, and a variety of fruits
  • A to-die-for Simple Strawberry Pound Cake

Items Mentioned in this podcast include:

  • Oilerie Contact information:  Terri Chaffer, Oilerie Owner,  13551 Grove Drive, Maple Grove, MN 55311.  Phone: 763-657-0857  (Across from JCPenney)
  • Oil & Balsamics for your garden harvest:
  • Carrots: Drizzle with vanilla and orange olive oil (gives orange dreamsicle flavor) with turbanodo sugar or honey granules on top.
  • Radish: Drizzle white balsamic with tomato dried tomato olive oil OR white balsamic with rosemary olive oil. Allow this to marinate in Ziploc bag. You can also experiment with this combination and cucumbers.
  • Garden Greens: Featured suggestion is pear balsamic with lemon olive oil.  You will also enjoy orange olive oil with pomegranate balsamic OR blackberry balsamic with basic olive oil. Blueberry balsamic with vanilla olive oil is very bright.  Fig balsamic with orange olive oil is very meaty.
  • Kale: Chop it up small and add balsamics
  • Tomatoes: 25 year aged balsamic with basil olive oil and sea salt with pepper.  For a twist on caprese: Try Genovese basil pesto on top of tomatoes. Drizzle with garlic olive oil and the 25 year aged balsamic.
  • Baby Artichokes: Artichoke paste mixed with lemon olive oil spread on pizza dough.  Cover with baby artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and cheese. Drizzle lemon olive oil over the top.  Add other toppings as desired.
  • Squash: Orange olive oil OR cinnamon olive oil.  Raspberry or Pear balsamics can also be added.
  • Beans: Toasted sesame oil with 25 year aged balsamic. A kid’s favorite is: garlic olive oil with a little splash of soy sauce. Place beans on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven with the oil and soy sauce on top.
  • Peas: Garlic olive oil with 25 year aged balsamic and garlic sea salt.
  • Asparagus: lemon olive oil and any balsamic. Try wrapping asparagus with prosciutto, Fior Fiore EVOO, 25 year balsamic and soy.
  • Corn: Drizzle Fior Fiore EVOO over tinfoil and corn on the cob, wrap it in tinfoil a second time.  Turn on the grill three times.  Amazing. No butter needed – the olive oil brings the moisture to the top. Add sea salt as needed.  OR try adding corn to a saute pan.  Drizzle with garlic olive oil.
  • Herbs: Take strawberries, black berries and raspberries and put them on a platter.  Add finely chopped basil. Drizzle with 25 year aged balsamic vinegar. Grate some chocolate over the top.  Serve it as a dessert over ice cream or yogurt.
  • Cashews: drizzle with rosemary olive oil and add chopped fresh rosemary and sea salt.  Roast in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  A great snack!
  • Walnuts: Drizzle with vanilla olive oil and honey granules.  Saute.
  • Grilling Season & Fruits: Take pineapple, peaches or pears – drizzle with vanilla olive oil. Grill them. Then dip them in your favorite fruited balsamic.
  • Peach dessert: Marinate them in a peach liquor with cardamom extract 2-3 hours. Serve in a little dessert dish with raspberry balsamic splashed over the top and whipping cream infused with a little caradamom.
  • Strawberry dessert: Marinate them in 25 year balsamic for 3 hours.  Cut Sara Lee pound cake into little pieces and drizzle with vanilla olive oil. Grill it. Put some strawberries on a plate.  Take the strawberries infused with the balsamic and put it on top of the cake with some whipping cream.
  • Jennifer’s favorite Basil varieties: Genovese and Mammoth
  • Also Note the Girl Time Event in Maple Grove put together by Oilerie: June 21st & 22nd.

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Question or Feedback?

Please leave a comment below and just let me know how you feel. What do you like about the show? What do you dislike? What kinds of things can I improve on? What do you wish there was more of?

I also appreciate future guest or topic ideas.

Let me know in the comment section below. I may feature your comment on the show!

Still growing...




Jennifer Ebeling
Jennifer Ebeling is a proud Minnesotan and U of MN alumni. Gooooooo Gophers! Each week, Jennifer produces and hosts Still Growing - a gardening podcast dedicated to helping you and your garden grow. The show is an in-depth interview format. Guests featured on the show share a passion for gardening and include authors, bloggers, professional gardeners, etc. Listeners and guests of the show can join the Still Growing community on Facebook. It's a place to ask questions, share garden stories, interact with great guests featured on the show, and continue to grow and learn. Jennifer and her husband Philip have four children, a big golden lab named Sonny, and live in lovely Maple Grove, Minnesota. P.S. When she's not teaching her four kids a new card game - or teaching them how to drive a car - Jennifer loves inspiring individuals and groups to maximize and personalize their home & garden.
Jennifer Ebeling
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10 Comments

  1. The Engineer on June 7, 2013 at 12:10 pm

    I want to know how I get to meet the good looking host of this show?

    I loved this interview, and want to roast some walnuts right now per Terri’s suggestions.

    • 6ftmama on June 8, 2013 at 9:21 am

      Thanks for this. I appreciate all the guest suggestions! I will watch for that next week.

      Terri was so fun to interview. I think anytime you have someone with an obvious passion for something – it’s inspiring.

    • 6ftmama on June 10, 2013 at 9:11 pm

      You’ll see me tonight. I’ll be the one standing by the oven with the dog and a couple kids about 2 feet away turning the kitchen into an obstacle course. They try to make cooking extra challenging for anyone over 40. Want to stop by LeAnn Chin’s on your way home?

  2. Amy Putkonen on June 9, 2013 at 6:11 am

    This is great. I haven’t listened to it yet but that list sounds great! I am exploring veganism so I am looking for ways to spruce up my veggies!

    • 6ftmama on June 10, 2013 at 9:01 pm

      Thanks for stopping by, Amy. I just made a salad tonight with fresh greens from my garden and then drizzled the lemon olive oil and the 25 year aged balsamic on top. It was excellent.

  3. Michele Bergh on June 11, 2013 at 9:20 am

    Love this interview. It was really great to get a better understanding of olive oil and what to look for as well as get all the ideas for using it since it’s so good for us!

  4. Deborah Weber on June 12, 2013 at 2:06 pm

    What a great interview Jennifer! I learned tons and am so inspired by the suggestions on how to use olive oils and balsamics – such delicious luscious ideas. Lovely to hear your voice as well.

  5. Amy Putkonen on June 15, 2013 at 9:04 am

    I realized that I had not responded to this. I did download this and listen to it. It was great! I had not realized that you were local, so that was a treat also! Yeah! We should have a local gathering of bloggers on Michele’s forum. That would be a blast! Maybe a picnic or something this summer? Wouldn’t that be fun?

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