Have You Tried The Best New Cooking Oil Yet?

Here at Coho, you may have noticed that we’re pretty picky about what goes onto your plate – and that includes what ingredients we use to cook it with. We are non-soy and non-GMO as much as is possible; to that end, we use wonderful Camelina Gold oil to prepare your dinner and anything else we might make at the inns and Coho!

As America has become more health-conscious, we’ve learned that refined = bad and unrefined = good. Your body has to work a lot harder to process unrefined ingredients, so you burn more calories just by eating unrefined foods. In a lot of cases, your body can’t even process refined ingredients, so it turns into fat stored and slows down your health and your metabolism. The best thing about Camelina is that it’s unrefined, processed without chemicals or solvents. The oil is left in its purest form this way and tends to be much richer and more flavorful than refined oils. Leaving it unrefined also leaves most of the nutrients intact, unlike refining.

We’ve also come to realize that omega-3 fatty acids are an extremely essential part of a healthy diet. They’re great for cardiovascular and mental health. Camelina oil is made up of about 35% omega-3s. As well as being a great source of the monounsaturated fatty acids, t makes a great cooking oil as it has a high smoke point of 475 degrees, making it perfect for methods of cooking that are sometimes more difficult to perfect, such as searing. Camelina has a great shelf life of up to two years.

Camelina has been used as cooking oil ever since the Bronze Age, but is currently considered a “new” crop in the United States. In eastern Washington state, it’s produced on a family farm and processed in nearby Ritzville by the Greenwalt family, who has been farming for over a century. Sustainable agriculture is very important to them – and to us!

Camelina oil is also used as a byproduct to feed Bernie Nash’s famous Mad Hatcher chickens – just one more thing about the birds that makes them the best-tasting around. Learn more about those chickens from this recent blog.

Here’s a great, simple recipe for an infused bread dip made with Camelina oil. We dare you to try it for yourself and not become a convert! Hoping to see you soon for dinner at Coho!

Infused Bread Dip

Peel garlic and clean onion. Place all herbs in the blender. Slowly add Camelina Gold to the herbs while processing and season with salt. Let stand in the refrigerator overnight for enhanced flavor. Enjoy with bread for dipping or as a salad dressing. Check our website for more recipes!

*Optional: 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and fresh Parmesan cheese to taste