This is a really luxurious salad from Jeffrey Benson and his wife who produce the excellent Monte Castello Gold from their olive farm near Lake Garda. The oil is lusciously nutty and goes really well with the distinctive flavours in this dish.

Ingredients
1 lobster, cooked
1 fresh tuna steak
manuka honey
sesame seeds
mixed salad leaves
wild rocket
plenty of Monte Castello Gold extra virgin olive oil

Method
Remove the flesh from the cooked lobster and keep on one side.
Cut the tuna into bite size chunks, coat in manuka honey and sesame seeds and sear in a non stick pan.
Compose a salad of assorted green leaves and wild rocket. Mix in the lobster and tuna. Add the olive oil at the last minute and toss the ingredients gently together. Divide equally between individual clear glass salad bowls.

GREEK SPINACH RICE

This very simple and healthy traditional Greek dish comes from Marianna Kolokotroni who imports an interesting early harvest cold pressed oil from Sparta. The oils are labelled by the temperatures at which they are pressed - 18, 20 and 22. The dish can be served on its own, as a starter, or as a side dish to accompany a main course. In Greece it is usually served with Greek-style yogurt, Greek feta cheese, or good-quality black Kalamata olives. Marianna says that you can also use leeks, cabbage or artichokes in place of spinach.

Ingredients
½ cup “22” extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4-5 spring onions, chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
2 cups hot water
salt
pepper
1,5kg spinach, washed and chopped
1 cup long-grain rice
¼ cup dill ,chopped

Method
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the onions and the spring onions and sauté for 5-10 minutes until softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes, water, salt, pepper and then the spinach, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until it decreases in volume.

Add the rice mix all the ingredients and bring to the boil. Then lower the heat and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for about 10 minutes (depending on the type of rice) until the rice is cooked and all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat, fluff up the rice and let it rest for a few minutes before serving. Serve with some more extra virgin olive oil on top and the freshly chopped dill.

SLOW ROASTED TOMATOES IN OLIVE OIL

This melt-in-the-mouth dish was developed for Maria Jose Verardini by the well-known Spanish chef Sergio Fernandez to show off her wonderful Naturvie extra virgin olive oil. It makes an excellent appetiser or it can be served as a side dish with meat and fish.

Ingredients
8 medium-sized tomatoes, peeled
40g brown sugar
200ml soy sauce
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
400ml Naturvie extra virgin olive oil

Method
Place the tomatoes in a baking pan. Mix all the remaining ingredients and pour over the tomatoes. Leave to marinate for at least two hours, turning the tomatoes from time to time. Place the tomatoes in the oven and bake at 140C for 90 minutes. Baste the tomatoes from time to time to stop the surfaces of drying up. Remove from the oven and serve at room temperature.