Gaea was founded in 1995, named for Mother Earth who, in ancient Greek mythology, symbolized fertility and all things new. As such, the company’s vision is to bring their passion and joy for life to the world through the undiscovered original Greek cuisine and lifestyle.

Dedicated also to protecting the environment, Gaea offers products that reach your table ethically, with 100% Natural ingredients, including handpicked olives from organically verified and committed farmers.

Enjoy the following delicious recipes that Gaea shared with The National Herald- Olive Bread, Black-Eyed Peas Salad, and Vegan Olive Oil and Orange Cake.

Gaea Olive Bread

3 and 1/4 cups (about 430 grams) bread flour (spooned and leveled), plus more as needed for shaping and for the pan

2 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast

2 teaspoons coarse salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 and 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 heaping cup (about 135 grams) GAEA stuffed green olives

1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) cool water, about 70 degrees F (21 degrees C)

1/2 teaspoons GAEA Organic Extra Virgin Oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, salt, oregano, and garlic powder. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the olives. Pour in the cool water and gently mix together. The dough will seem dry and shaggy, but keep working it until all the flour is moistened. If needed, use your hands to work the dough ingredients together. The dough will be sticky. Shape into a ball in the bowl as best you can.

Keeping the dough in the bowl, cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and set on the counter at room temperature (honestly any normal room temperature is fine). Allow to rise for 2-3 hours. The dough will just about double in size, stick to the sides of the bowl, and have a lot of air bubbles.

You can continue with the next step immediately, but for the absolute best flavor and texture, it is strongly recommended to let the risen dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours and up to 3 days. Even just a couple hours is good. Place the covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The dough will puff up during this time, but may begin to deflate after 2 days. That’s normal and nothing to worry about.

Lightly dust a large nonstick baking sheet (with or without rims and make sure it’s nonstick) with flour and/or cornmeal. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Using generously floured hands, shape into a ball as best you can. The dough will be very sticky. Loosely cover and allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes. You will bake the dough on this prepared baking sheet. A pizza stone or dutch oven may also be used.

During this 45 minutes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (218 degrees C).

When ready to bake, using a very sharp knife or bread lame (a type of razor) or even kitchen shears, score the dough with a slash or an X, about 1/2 inch deep. (Score=shallow cut.) If the shaped loaf flattened out during the 45 minutes, use floured hands to reshape into a ball.

Optional for a slightly crispier crust: After the oven is preheated and bread is scored, place a shallow metal or cast iron baking pan or skillet (a metal 9×13 baking pan works well) on the bottom oven rack. Carefully and quickly pour 3-4 cups of boiling water into it. Place the scored dough/baking pan on a higher rack and quickly shut the oven, trapping the steam inside. The steam helps create a crispier crust.

Place the shaped and scored dough on the flour/cornmeal dusted pan in the preheated oven on the center rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown. How to test for doneness– give the warm loaf a light tap. If it sounds hollow, it’s done. For a more accurate test, the bread is done when an instant read thermometer reads the center of the loaf as 195 degrees F (90 degrees C).

Remove the bread from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10-20 minutes before slicing and serving. Store leftovers loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

You can also use the Gaea Green olives stuffed with garlic instead, for a garlicky-flavored bread.

Gaea Black-Eyed Peas Salad

7 oz. black-eyed peas

4 tablespoons Gaea Ancient Greek balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup finely chopped spring onions

1/2 cup finely chopped red onions

1/2 cup finely chopped coriander or parsley

1/2 cup chopped tomatoes

2.3 oz Gaea Green Olives Marinated with Chili & Pepper

Gaea Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil for drizzling

Boil the beans in a pot of salted water for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain and set aside to cool. Roughly chop the olives and place in a bowl. Add the cooled beans and the rest of the ingredients. Generously drizzle with Gaea Fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Toss the salad well and serve chilled.

Gaea Vegan Olive Oil and Orange Cake

7.5 oz GAEA Virgin Olive Oil for Cooking

17.5 oz self-rising flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

14 oz orange juice

Zest of 1 orange

11 oz sugar

1 pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

A shot of Cognac

1/2 teaspoon of mastic (optional)

Place the GAEA virgin olive oil, orange juice, and sugar in a bowl and beat well until the sugar dissolves. In a mortar and pestle, grind the salt with the mastic (if using) and add them to the bowl with the olive oil mixture. Dissolve the baking soda and cognac in a cup and add to the mixture. Slowly add the flour and orange zest to the large bowl and mix. Grease a cake pan of at least a 10-cup capacity. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C for about 40 minutes. Remove the baked cake from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool.

Once completely cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with lemon, grapefruit or Seville orange marmalade.