Add flavor to your kitchen with locally made artisan oils

PROSSER, Wash. -- When people pick up a bottle of AprsVin's grape seed oil, Lori Ramonas usually hears one question: Is it just like olive oil?

Quick answer, Ramonas says, is yes -- only better.

The Prosser-based company, founded by Ramonas and her husband, Eric Leber, sells 17 varieties of grape seed oil and a line of gluten-free grape seed flours, all created from seeds discarded by area wineries.

And yes, the grape seed oil can be used in exchange for olive oil in recipes, but it has several added benefits, she says, including a higher smoke point -- meaning it can be used safely for high-temperature cooking such as stir frying -- and it is packed with healthy antioxidants.

"The primary difference is the high smoke point," Ramonas says. "It can handle different kinds of cooking that an olive oil can't."

AprsVin's grape seed oil also has unique flavor, something most mass-produced oils lack, Ramonas says. The oil is produced in a partnership with FruitSmart in Prosser. There, it is extracted using a cold-press technique after the grapes have been separated by type, such as Riesling, chardonnay and merlot. That separation creates unique flavors for each type of oil AprsVin sells, she says.

Each grape variety undergoes a different process to create wine, Ramonas says. White wine grape seeds are removed before the fermentation process, she says, but red wine seeds ferment with the alcohol, which changes their flavor.

"When you go to a white seed like a Riesling or a chardonnay, they are going to be lighter in flavor. You're going to have a slight citrus note to the Riesling and a butter in the chardonnay," she says. "When you're into the fermented seeds like the cabernet sauvignon, it tastes like a fermented fruit flavor, and the merlot tastes like scotch without the alcohol."

AprsVin sells unifused and infused oils. Ramonas says they like to build flavors based on the natural character of the oil, as well as make infusions that aren't typically sold in stores.

(In stores) "there's a lot of sun-dried tomato, there's a lot of basil, there's a lot of oregano. There's a lemon-infused olive oil," she says. "We've tried to say, 'Let's expand the flavor palate a bit and get out there in some different flavor combinations that you don't typically find."

Some of AprsVin's flavors include Chardonnay Morocco and Chipotle Merlot, as well as a Lime Riesling and Roasted Garlic Chardonnay.

Each infused oil can be used in recipes instead of olive oil to make flavorful dressings or marinades, or to sear fish.

"Most people have some sense of olive oil," Ramonas says. "If I put it in that context, it gives people a level of comfort."

When suggesting recipes for the oil, Ramonas likes to recommend things that are easy, she says. "No one's going to do it unless it's easy." Recently, Ramonas says she made a smoked salmon spread with canned salmon, mayonnaise, capers and a couple tablespoons of the Chardonnay Fume, which is a chardonnay oil smoked over chardonnay grapevines.

"The smoked oil will give whatever you're cooking with a smoked flavor, which is hard to replicate unless you're going to go out and grill something," Ramonas says. "I think the only limit is really your imagination."

The company also sells grape seed flour, which is gluten-free, but Ramonas says it can't be used as a replacement for normal flour. She uses it more as a baking additive because it's loaded with antioxidants and adds some complexity of flavor to dishes. She recommends adding no more than 1 to 3 tablespoons of the flour per cup of dry ingredients in baked goods.

AprsVin is also experimenting with mixing ground, roasted grape seeds with coffee beans. Ramonas says that product will likely be released sometime this year.

AprsVin

AprsVin oils and flours are available online at www.apresvin.com, at Deep Sea Deli in Yakima, Piety Flats Winery in Wapato, Bon Vino's Bistro and Bakery in Sunnyside, and 6th Street Coffee, Airfield Estates, Bonnie's Vine and Gift and several wineries in Prosser.

Cooking with grape seeds

Roasted Garlic Chardonnay Vinaigrette

4 tablespoons AprsVin Roasted Garlic Chardonnay Oil

2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, stemmed and chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a small mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature. If making ahead, refrigerate until one hour before serving time. Remove from the refrigerator and let stand one hour to warm to room temperature.

Spicy Moroccan Chicken

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large, bite-size pieces

2 red, yellow or green bell peppers, thinly sliced

2 sweet onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons AprsVin Chardonnay Morocco grape seed oil

Marinade, combine:

1/4 cup AprsVin Chardonnay Morocco grape seed oil

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Place the bite-size pieces of chicken breast in a medium bowl, pour the marinade over it, and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours. Turn the chicken several times while marinating.

Before the chicken is done marinating, gently saut the bell peppers and onions in 2 tablespoons of AprsVin Chardonnay Morocco grape seed oil until tender and set aside.

When the chicken breasts are done marinating, saut them in 1 tablespoon of Chardonnay Morocco grape seed oil.

Combine the sauted chicken breast with the sauted peppers and onions and gently heat until warm throughout.

Serve over rice or couscous, sprinkled with finely chopped fresh parsley or cilantro.

Chardonnay Fume Shrimp Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers

1 pound uncooked, peeled, and deveined large shrimp (30 to 40 shrimp)

5 tablespoon AprsVin Chardonnay Fume grape seed oil

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (Julienne cut)

1/4 cup capers

12 oz spinach linguine

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Heat the Chardonnay Fume grape seed oil over low heat in a large, deep saucepan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and capers and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Increase the heat to medium high and add the uncooked shrimp. Stir constantly and cook the shrimp only until they first turn opaque white and slightly pink in color.

Remove the shrimp, sun-dried tomatoes, and capers mixture from the heat immediately to avoid overcooking the shrimp.

Cook the spinach linguine to al dente. Drain the linguine and toss it with the shrimp, tomato, and capers mixture so that the pasta is well coated with the grape seed oil.

Add freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Quick Chipotle Merlot Brownies

Buy your favorite brownie mix, or make your favorite brownie recipe from scratch, and use the following instructions in place of the instructions specified on the mix or in your homemade recipe.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

For 16 brownies:

Add 6 tablespoons of AprsVin Merlot grape seed flour to a package of brownie mix (or to the dry ingredients in your favorite brownie recipe) and mix well.

Add 1/4 cup of AprsVin Chipotle Merlot grape seed oil, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of cold water, and two eggs to the brownie/grape seed flour mixture and stir until moistened.

Spoon batter into a lightly greased 11x7 baking pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan before cutting.