Fennel Salad with Roasted Beets and Shaved Asparagus (GIVEAWAY)
I’m so excited about today’s post! Not just because I have a lovely Fennel Salad to share, loaded with roasted beets, shaved asparagus, toasted walnuts and Asiago cheese. It’s because I feel like I have a secret treasure to share with you…
I adore crisp fennel salad, no matter the variety. Some pair fennel with citrus segments, others with apples and celery. However, something about the cool anise flavor of fennel against hot roasted beets makes my heart sing. Add thin slivers of raw asparagus and rich nutty Asiago and walnuts, and I am a happy, happy girl.
Yet this fennel salad recipe is not even the best part of today’s post.
I’ve discovered something special that many of you may not know about, Theros Olive Oil.
Last summer my husband and I spent a day at the Asheville Food and Wine Festival. We meandered through the aisles sipping regional wines and nibbling small plates from local chefs. Half way through the day we passed an unassuming booth offering olive oil samples. Over the years I’ve tried dozens and dozens of brands of olive oil in specialty oil shops, so uninterested, I sauntered on. Luckily, I glanced down at the table, and noticed a large dipping bowl of olive oil. I was immediately struck by the rich green color, and I do mean GREEN. Some olive oils have a tinge of green in appearance, but this oil was OLIVE GREEN.
Of course I had to stop and taste it. Immediately I was struck, again, by the intensity and freshness of the flavor. I had honestly never tasted olive oil like this.
(My photo is not quite doing the color justice, but you get the idea.)
I often share companies with products I enjoy, but I’m always careful to not use verbiage that could possibly be misconstrued, or taken as emotional. That being said, I have no hesitation in telling you that Theros Olive Oil is the BEST olive oil I’ve ever tasted. By far.
After speaking with Niko Theros, I understand why.
The Theros family farm is 100 acres of coastal land in Koroni, located in the southwest region of Messinia, Greece, just an hour south of the city of Kalamata. Messinia receives the highest annual rainfall in the country and is considered the best climate for growing olives. The name actually translates, “The Mother of Olive.”
Niko’s family had lived on the farm for over eight generations, yet after World War II, his grandparents moved to the United States for a fresh start. They made a historic voyage by boat, arriving at Ellis Island with their seven children. His grandparents later settled in Brevard, NC, making this region feel like home to Niko.
After finishing his degree in horticulture, Niko wanted to explore his roots and decided to move back to Greece for a couple years. His grandfather’s best friend had been keeping watch over the Theros farm for decades, and was thrilled to teach Niko the secrets of farming olives.
Theros olive oil is special for several reasons. First and foremost, the olives are hand-picked at their peak and pressed in the village within 48 hours, to obtain the highest degree of freshness. The oil is then stored in 55 gallon barrels Niko calls “time capsules” because they are specially insulated to block light, air, and temperature. The barrels are shipped to the US, then Niko only opens them as needed, bottling small amounts at a time to insure freshness.
Second, ALL Theros Olive Oil comes from the family farm. Niko explained, the reason the color and taste are so vibrant, compared to other olive oils, is that every other company he knows of, collects oil from different villages and regions, then pools them together. He also revealed that this happens throughout the whole Mediterranean region, so that some olive oils labeled “Greek” may only be 20% Greek, the rest coming from surrounding countries. This commingling process dilutes the intensity of the better oils and creates a lower quality product all together. This is the standard practice worldwide.
Niko carefully handles the olive oil process, producing pure, organic, highly extra-virgin (meaning super low acidity) olive oil, free of chemicals and additives. The difference is obvious in taste and appearance. Because of all the love put into this oil, Niko INSISTS that it should be enjoyed RAW, in its natural state. Of course you can cook with it, but doing so reduces the health benefits and extraordinary flavor.
So I’m thrilled to offer you three things:
- A gorgeous Fennel Salad drizzled in the most luscious olive oil you will ever taste.
- A list of places you can find Theros Olive Oil. CLICK HERE.
- And… THREE Gallons of Theros Olive Oil as a Giveaway!!!
Check out their NEW Facebook page HERE.
Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Fennel Salad
Fennel Salad with Roasted Beets and Shaved Asparagus
Ingredients:
2 bunches beets (I used gold and red)
2 large fennel bulbs
1 bunch FAT asparagus
4 oz. Asiago cheese
1 cup toasted walnuts, broken into pieces
1/2 a lemon
Theros Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Clean and peel the beets, then slice them into thin rounds. Spread out on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, core and slice the fennel bulbs thin.
Use a veggie peeler to shave thin ribbons of asparagus and Asiago cheese.
When ready to serve, stack fennel, beets, asparagus, more beets, Asiago cheese and toasted walnuts onto serving plates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Drizzle each plate with a little lemon juice and a generous portion of Theros Olive Oil.
Today, not one, but THREE of you are going to receive a GALLON of Theros Olive Oil. Each gallon jug sells for $65 wholesale rate, but is worth $140 of Theros Olive Oil sold in 12 oz. bottles.
TO ENTER: ~CLOSED~
Leave a comment describing what you’d like to make with Theros Olive Oil ~ Think Raw!
Additional Entries:
- Follow A Spicy Perspective by: Email, RSS, Facebook, Pinterst and/or Twitter
- Pin on Pinterest
- Share on Facebook (with a link)
- Tweet This: Win a GALLON of Amazing Theros Olive Oil from @SpicyPerspectiv Enter Here: http://aspicyperspective.com/?p=10547 #oliveoil #giveaway #greece
(Share Buttons at the top or bottom of this post.)
Leave a separate comment for each entry ~ 9 possible entries per person!
This giveaway will close and winners will be randomly selected February 13th. For US residents only.
Disclosure: Theros provided olive oil for this giveaway. All heart-felt opinions are my own!













I follow you on Twitter too via @serene_streams
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I retweeted your giveaway via @serene_streams
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Olive oil makes a perfect salad dressing for me!
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I like you on Facebook too
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Hi, I would love to roast some root vegetables until caramalized and top them with this oil and fresh basil! Yummy.. I followed you on twitter and will tweet this giveaway. Have a good one!
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I pinned this on Pinterest
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I shared this on facebook.
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OMG, I would love to make my favorite quinoa salad with this, or a panzanella salad, or just eat it plain with some warm, homemade bread fresh from the oven! Best giveaway ever! Thanks!
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I subscribe to A Spicy Perspective’s emails.
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I like/follow ASP on facebook.
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I follow ASP on twitter.
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I follow ASP on Pinterest.
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I tweeted your giveaway.
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I shared the link for this recipe and giveaway on my facebook page.
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I had already pinned this recipe on Pinterest.
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I would serve homemade wheat bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dipping sauce. Yum!
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Nothing like homemade mayo made with a truly great olive oil. YUM.
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And tweeted
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I visit the Santa Monica Farmer market twice every week. We are spoiled with pristine produce. I drizzle great olive oil over all lettuces and vegetables. My fav? Heirloom tomatoes with fresh basil, sea salt and a green olive oil. Perfection!
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This olive oil would be for drizzling only! Soup, salad, pizza.
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And sure, I can pin it too
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Open face gluten free whole foods brand light bread toasted, pole caught skipjack tuna, thin sliced tomato, shredded lettuce, shredded carrots, salt THEROS to top it off…
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I think I would just dip big chunks of crusty bread in it and eat it with a wedge of feta. Yum!
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Also, I already follow you on Twitter and Facebook but just pinned this as well. Thanks!
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I would like to buy some great crusty bread and dip it into that yummy Theros Olive Oil and eat it that way.
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I tweeted the tweet:
https://twitter.com/#!/mollyparnis/status/169028569543090176
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