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Five Inventive Summer Uses for Olive Oil: The Coldani Family

1. Fruit Salad With A Twist

"Planning a picnic or invited over for the neighbors' potluck? Take boring fruit salad up a notch with an olive oil enriched fruit salad.

We love to toss some juicy watermelon squares and ripe strawberry slices into a bowl and then drizzle thick, velvety balsamic vinegar, along with a splash of a basil-infused olive oil over the top. The hidden basil flavor is what surprises the taste buds and we always get compliments for our unique take on fruit salad."

2. Spicy Popcorn For Movie Night

"Summer means big movie blockbusters and if you're anything like our family, there is nothing better than a movie night with lots of popcorn.

As a healthy alternative to butter, we pop up bowls of popcorn and drizzle jalapeno-infused olive oil on top for an unctuous and spicy kick."

3. Summer Glow With Olive Oil

"Whether applied to face or body, olive oil can penetrate deep into the skin and provide a long-lasting shield of moisture to keep skin smooth and supple.

After a day in the sun or at the beach, extra virgin olive oil mixed with a little lemon juice and coarse salt makes for a refreshing and healing scrub and summer moisturizer. Whenever we cook, we always drizzle a little bit of oil on our hands for a quick and easy way to keep our hands soft."

4. We Scream For Ice Cream

"Because we eat a lot of olive oil, we're always trying to think of new ways to experiment how to use it. One of our favorite discoveries was last summer when, during a heat wave, we were eating ice cream one night and looked at each other and thought, 'why not?'

Although everyone thinks of olive oil as traditionally enjoyed dipped in bread, drizzled over fresh mozzarella or poured over a savory soup, it is delicious drizzled over ice cream with some sea salt sprinkled on top. Trust us - this sweet treat makes for the perfect summer indulgence."

5. Olive Oil And Friends

"We're always curious about other olive oils and, instead of making it feel like work, figured out a way to try a lot of different varieties while keeping it fun. We now host monthly olive oil tasting parties where we invite over some friends, pour different tastes of olive oils from around the world and get people talking.

Sometimes we'll rate the oils based on taste and color, or maybe even do a blind tasting to guess where the oils are from. It's a delicious spin on a get together with friends - and with a plenty of fresh, crusty French bread for dipping and lots of wine, everyone leaves happy."

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