One of our culinary building blocks, olive oil is never far out of reach, usually in a prime kitchen spot next to the likes of salt and pepper. While we might not be able to rival its use in Mediterranean countries, where it's turned to daily for everything from breakfast to dessert, it's certainly one of our go-tos, whether we're drizzling it on salads or pasta, using it in marinades or gently sautéing vegetables in it. And while its origins remain something of a mystery, we know it's been important in our lives for millennia, including for Greek and Roman societies over 2,000 years ago (Greek poet Homer famously referred to it as 'liquid gold' in The Iliad).

Its ubiquity may be why we take it for granted, using it to fry food and giving it little thought beyond that. But olive oil's potential is endless, its flavour profiles varying from fruity to peppery and bitter (indeed, its range is so vast there are olive oil sommeliers just as with wine). There has long been an argument that we shouldn't cook with olive (and particularly extra virgin olive) oil, thanks to its relatively low smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil does have a lower point than most others (around 170ºC to 180ºC), but with an ideal temperature for day-to-day frying and sautéing sitting at around 160ºC to 180ºC, it's largely a fallacy that we should avoid it, unless we're pan-searing over a very high heat. By swapping it out, we miss out on that huge depth of flavour.

The dizzying array of olive oil in the supermarket can make it difficult to pick just one, but quality matters, particularly if you're following a recipe in which it shines through. The Carapelli name is synonymous with quality – it still harvests and presses its olives just as it did 130 years ago, using the same traditional methods and only the best olives. Here, we have brought together eight brilliant recipes where olive oil is elevated to a starring role – there's sweet and savoury options and ones for both midweek meals and dinner party showstoppers. Most importantly, all are perfect for summer.

Ben Tish uses a simple buttermilk dressing, made with Carapelli Extra Virgin Olive Oil for extra richness, in his brassica salad recipe, which also has the citrusy tang of blood orange. Ben chars the vegetables in a hot pan – a heavy cast iron or griddle pan is ideal – to bring out their sweetness. An ideal summer salad.

It's the perfect time of year for this zingy sorbet recipe from William Drabble, which has punchy hits of vodka and tangy lemon zest. They pair fantastically with the frangrance of lemon verbena. Full of vibrance, this is ideal served with raspberries or fresh lemon.

This fantastic Steve Groves recipe is a blend of sweet and savoury, as well as elegance and comfort. The summery chilled melon and olive oil soup is paired with rich, fiery 'nduja on crunchy toast. The oregano leaves and oil drizzled on top add a delightfully herbaceous note. It's easy to prepare for a midweek meal, taking around forty minutes, but is also sure to impress your friends and family. 

These bite-sized Algerian treats by Rosa Mayland are a perfect snack. It's easy to whip up a batch, taking just forty-five minutes, and they can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in a cool place for one week. Though these are lemony, you can replace the lemon zest with orange, and the vanilla extract with the same quantity of orange blossom water to switch up the end result.