Spice up your at-home cooking experience with a variety of unique olive oils, vinegars, spices, and aiolis

By Brooke Wasowicz, Rafter Eleven

Prescott Valley was founded by ranchers, and even today the ranch is considered the heart of the land, giving life and sustenance to the people who live there. Much like the ranch, the kitchen is the heart of the home where the family (by blood or by choice) gather to connect over meals made with endearment.

Rafter Eleven loves being a part of your at-home cooking experience, whether it’s through using our olive oils and balsamic vinegars or our unique spices and decadent aiolis. At Rafter Eleven, we’re all about connections.  We believe connections are often made in the kitchen, bringing friends and family together. With families spending more and more time at home and in the kitchen than ever before, we thought we’d share some of our favorite recipes that will surely bring you closer together!

The Salad

To start off any great meal, we love a bright salad! Mix fresh arugula, spinach and butter lettuce in a big salad bowl. Next, add goat cheese, sliced pears (we recommend ripe Asian pears) and candied pecans. And to finish, add ground black pepper to taste. For the dressing mix 2 parts of our Basil Olive Oil to 1 part Gravenstein White Apple Balsamic. Shake well and pour over your salad just before serving.

The Side Dish

To complement most dishes, we love to incorporate as many roasted veggies as possible. Choose a medley of your favorite vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower) and pour a mixture of our Garlic Olive Oil and Sicilian Lemon Balsamic. Finish with cracked pepper and a sprinkle of salt to taste and bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes depending on how tender you like them!

The Main Course

At last, we’ve reached the main course: seared halibut! Simply marinate the halibut in 2 Tablespoons of Persian Lime Olive Oil and 1.5 Tablespoons of our Honey-Ginger Balsamic. Sear to perfection and finish with an extra drizzle of the marinade on top. Dress up your halibut with colorful mini cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped cilantro for a dish that will amaze you by how elegant and simple it is to make.

The Wine

It wouldn’t be a complete meal without a crisp and refreshing glass of wine. Wolf Trap is an African white blend of Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Grenache. This wine is creamy and aromatic with a hint of spice, making it a beautiful complement to any white fish.

Rafter Eleven is truly the heart of Prescott Valley, thanks to its strong ranching heritage coupled with its ability to bring family and friends together to sit and sip a while, both at home and at our humble brick and mortar store.

Rafter Eleven is at 2985 N. Centre Court, in Prescott Valley. For more information call 928.227.2050 or visit www.raftereleven.com.