Thank you, Mark. I apologize - I completely missed your suggestion yesterday. This looks like an approach that provides excellent results, but I am put off by the long curing time - I'm self-employed, so I'm trying to engineer the shortest possible disruption to my work life. I am pretty sure I'll go with Odie's.Leaving aside my opinion of using wood countertops to begin with, I would recommend looking at one of the modern 'hard wax' finishes like Rubio Monocoat/OSMO/etc. Easy to apply, easy to repair, more durable than a traditional oil finish.
Food Contact Compliance (Food Safe)
Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C shows food contact compliance with regulation EC n° 1935/2004.www.rubiomonocoatusa.com
Wood Whisperer video on why he mostly prefers hard wax finishes to oil-varnish blends now:
-Mark