I don’t know what happened but my beet crop was disastrous this year. The “golden” beets I planted in the fall evolved into knotty, dingy beige, woody and inedible roots. Thank goodness my neighbor, Sandy, who is an amazing gardener, gifted me with three beautiful ruby beets as well as the challenge of how to cook them other than the classic steamed or roasted. I immediately thought of my brand new spiralizer that I purchased from my dear friend Laureen who is a director at Pampered Chef. Her products are always top-notch but for some reason, I had procrastinated experimenting with this contraption.
Introducing the Spiralizer by the Pampered Chef
My garden re-landscape has consumed my life ( I just had to have a Fuyu Persimmon!) and I decided to take a break from the dirt to spend a day in the kitchen, my other favorite room. I started the morning baking David Lebovitz’s olive oil muffins, with my touch of added blueberries, then decided to tackle the spiralizer. It is much easier than anticipated! In fact, it is simple. I choose the fettuccine blade and voila! I was impressed. From the outside, all Sandy’s beets looked the same but when unwrapping them, one’s color was a burgundy wine while the other a party pink.
Easier than a mandoline
I wanted to create something simple but tasty and beautiful. The accompanying ingredient that came to mind was pistachios. I love this green nut which I feel is so undervalued.
Once the beets are thinly sliced, they can be eaten either raw or cooked. I blanched some of the spirals and was disappointed that the brightness of color faded dramatically. I decided to use them raw but you can prepare them anyway you like.
Party pink fettucine of beet
My choice of flavoring was extra virgin mint olive oil, which I tossed into the beets to give them a light, summer flavor. Goat cheese, rolled in the mint olive oil then in chopped pistachios, added character. The cubed avocado provides extra color and a soft texture. I sprinkled around some leftover fennel for color and crunch. For the finale, thick fig balsamic vinegar was drizzled on top. This vinegar really does pair beautifully with the beets. The fun is in “painting” the plate with your ingredients. Feel free to share your beet creations and combos with me!
Inspiration struck and I had a hit. It was a simple idea. Create an egg dish for Mother’s Day that would say “I love you” and taste great too. Here’s what I came up with. Shallots and mushrooms chopped fine and sauteed in olive oil with a pinch of salt until very soft, about 10 minutes. This is a classic “duxelle” and such a great base for anything you want to infuse with flavor. I once made a whole wheat pastry roulade with a stuffing of duxelles, that was baked and sliced as an appetizer. My catering clients raved. I digress.
Next, I harvested fresh Swiss chard from my garden. I needed an excuse to use this green that has over-populated and decided to become a permanent, year-round fixture. Not necessarily a bad thing. The chard’s lineage was removed for future use and the leaves folded in half, sliced down either side to create three long pieces, then thinly sliced. You can maneuver this anyway you like. This is just how I do it to help get it to the lowest common denominator.
When the duxelles are finished, stir in the shreds of Swiss chard and a pinch of herbes de Provence and saute until cooked but still bright green. Do not overcook! You can make this ahead if you like and refrigerate. To add even more color, dice fresh Roma tomatoes to small, 1/4” cubes that will also take part in this production.
Here’s how it went down. Pour one teaspoon of basil olive oil (or any olive oil of your preference) in the bottom of a ramekin. I used a 6 oz. cup. Sprinkle a layer of chopped tomatoes on top. Spoon in 1-2 Tbls. of the mushroom mixture, depending on the size of your ramekin. Build up the filling, leaving about an inch to the top. This is so the egg on top of the filling it will make a statement, “Look at me!” and not “I’m a shrinking violet.” Crack an egg on top, or if you wish to be a bit extravagant and avant garde, use quail eggs as I have done here. I admire their delicate shells, so uniquely speckled. Maybe I used too many!!
Coat the entire egg with about a tablespoon of cream – decadent – and sprinkle with fleur de sel, my obsession.
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, checking half-way through, until the yolk is just set to your liking. The tiny quail eggs will only take about 8 minutes.
Serve hot and be ready for the sound of only the forks hitting the ceramic. The eggs are that delicious and irresistible. Have some lively French or Italian music playing in the background for ambiance to feel like you’re in the Euro zone. Fresh fruit and a light mixed baby green or arugula salad are the perfect complement for this breakfast/brunch.
60 minutes recently aired an exposé on the Mafia’s control over food production in Italy, called “Agromafia.” It is scary. Chlorophyll and sunflower oil or canola oil mixed together to form olive oil; detergent added to cheese to whiten it; cheap wine touted as expensive reserve. Food is a big business, especially in Italy.
The show focused on Italy but the Italians aren’t the only culprits in the food industry. Remember the melamine from China in dog food that made so many pets sick? Food from China is often boycotted because we distrust their full disclosure of ingredients. I’ve been researching various food products around the world and each country has its pocket of villains trying to make an easy buck. God knows our country is not exempt and also has its share of fraudulent manufacturers.
It’s a world wide epidemic and why? Our need and want for more choices but at a low cost lures us into buying with our eyes closed. If you are paying $9.99 for a gallon of olive oil, do you really think you are getting the real deal? We convince ourselves that we are getting a bargain without questioning the source. As my high school English teacher, Mr. Bell, said repeatedly, TINSTAFL. There is no such thing as a free lunch!
There are many agencies that regulate food fraud including the FDA. Actually, my last shipment was randomly flagged and held over in customs for six weeks until an FDA agent could “test” my olives and make sure they were acidic enough. They passed the test with ease and I learned that some food companies pass through unnoticed with possibly tainted food while others, like mine, must endure the food safety process.
Beware of companies jumping on the bandwagon to sell trendy foods who do not do their research. My travels over Italy have led me to the true creators of authentic, family grown and unadulterated products. I care about what goes into my body and choose to support the independent businesses rather than the “box” brand names. I rely on them to deliver quality and they rely on me to buy their products. Food Fraud Resources is a great website and a tutorial for helping us to distinguish between authentic and fraudulent foods. There is an especially interesting article on fish that will surprise you and also make you swim away from certain seafoods. foodfraudresources.com
So let’s not live in fear of products from other countries, but rather be aware, read labels, and support the people who really want to make a difference in the world.
Visit my site, thevirtuousolive to view a video from Galantino, the olive mill I receive my beautiful, pure oils from. You can see first hand how they produce their extra virgin olive oils.
Mushroom risotto. The flavor is so sublime, why complicate it with too many other ingredients? The essence that is the mushroom carries the flavor with the assistance of shallots, dry white wine and parsley. Watch carefully. Do not overcook. Do not overstir. It’s a lesson in patience – a zen experience.
Let the risotto evolve and reduce with gentle stirs and ladlefuls of broth as needed. Do not overwork it – just like life. Don’t over think. Just let the magic happen. Earthy, delicate, straightforward. A recipe that taught me when to add broth. When to stir. When to let it rest. This is why I love to cook. The food talks to you and lets you know how it would like to be treated. Maybe I should have a chat with each dish I make and get their opinion on how they’d like to be prepared.
Resist giving into the temptation to cook the rice until it’s mushy. Risotto should be like pasta, “al dente” with a little teeth to the bite. This gives the rice character so it doesn’t sink into the sunset as a nondescript bowl of cream of rice. What I want to share with you is not how to make risotto, but rather how to experience risotto.
My friend Roberto, musician, teacher and lover of food, especially Italian, came to visit last weekend. He brought us the best gift. He cooked for us! Did I mention Roberto is Sicilian? His recipes are not what you would find in any restaurant and probably rarely what would be published in a trendy cooking magazine. They are true-to-the-culture dishes that are a bit out there and really pushed my culinary boundaries. Skeptical as you may be, this recipe is so delicious, your stomach will be begging for seconds, as mine did.
Pasta Con Le Sarde, or Pasta with Sardines, is a representative dish of Sicily from Palermo. What makes this dish so interesting is its Arab influence and how the middle eastern ingredients found their way into Sicily’s culinary history. Examples of this are raisins, pine nuts and saffron included in this pasta.
Roberto told me of his mother and aunt making Pasta Con Le Sarde for family dinners. He fell in love with his first taste of the dish even as a young child. As he grew older, and eventually moved to California, Roberto became more interested in the food and ingredients of his homeland. To help with the surges of homesickness most foreigners experience, he began cooking from a cookbook of ancient Sicilian recipes he brought with him from Sicily. Here is the recreation of the recipe he fondly remembers.
The beauty of this dish is that you can have a few things going at once and while they simmer, sit down and enjoy a glass of wine.
This recipe will not spell out exact measurements because Roberto made it off the top of his head. Still, it is easy to create and this dish is not an exact science! Serves an army or about 4 hungry diners.
1cupraisinssoaked in warm water to soften, then drained
1/2cuppinenutstoasted
generous pinch saffron
Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sauté the onion in the olive oil with the anchovies.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt.
Add the chopped fennel fronds and boil for about 45 minutes or until very tender and soft.
As the onions cook and soften, add spoonfuls of the fennel water to the mixture to keep it moist.
When the fennel is cooked, strain it out of the water using a slotted spoon and add it to the onion mix.
Do not discard the water! This water will be used to boil the pasta.
Add the pasta to the boiling fennel water and cook until just al dente or firm to the teeth.
Meanwhile, to the fennel onion mix, stir in the sardines, raisins, pine nuts and finally the saffron.
Gently stir in the cooked pasta and coat it with the fennel sauce.
Use olive oil, we prefer the Lemon Extra Virgin, to coat a 6 quart baking dish. Pour in the pasta mixture. Generously drizzle the entire dish with lemon extra virgin olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons.
Bake in a 325 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Serve with a fresh green salad and crusty bread.
In Italy, Roberto uses wild fennel, Finnochio Rizzo, that he gathers from the side of the road.The marriage.The nose is telling Roberto how many more sardines to add. The sardines smooth out the strong flavor of the fennel. Of course, in Sicily, fresh sardines are used.The finishing touch – generous drizzles of Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
So, how many of you will attempt this dish? It is quite tasty, not fishy and flavorful to a fault.
“And anyone who has once known this land (Sicily) can never be quite free from the nostalgia for it.” D. H. Lawrence
Tomato sauce recipes are ubiquitous. Ask your friends and they will all have their own versions which most cling to like a plum pit. If you grow your own tomatoes like I do, you want to do something really special with your precious harvest.
San Marzanos in abundance!
This year I am growing Italian San Marzano heirloom tomatoes. Originating from the town of San Marzano sul Sarno in southern Italy near Naples, they are a prized Italian treasure. You can usually find the canned version in specialty stores but rarely will you see them in the fresh fruit section of the grocery stores or even at Farmer’s Markets. They are a smaller, more elongated version of an American plum tomato or Roma, with a thick pulp and low acidity which makes them perfect for preserving. As if overnight, about five pounds of them ripened simultaneously in my garden. It was time to can.
How did I decide on what kind of sauce to make with these coveted tomatoes? I consulted my library of traditional Italian cookbooks from Giuliano Buglialli to Ada Boni. The suggestions ranged from complex to simple. From my travels in Italy, I know that the true Italian version of “sugo di pomodoro” or tomato sauce is not to embellish it with too many flavors. The intention is to keep it simple so the tang of the tomato can shine. I liked Bugialli’s technique of simplicity so improvised with my own twist.
Handful of basil chiffonadethinly sliced basil leaves
Method
Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise.
Place in a deep saucepan.
Stir in Garlic Olive Oil
Stir in basil. The basil helps bring out the flavor of the tomato.
Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally until juice is released and tomatoes break down. This took about 2 hours.
The finished sauce, thick and juicy and delectable.
Most people will pass it through a food mill to eliminate the skins and seeds. Not me. I am ok with seeing and eating the entire fruit. You can either pour it over hot pasta and sprinkle with parmesan or preserve it by canning like I did. Instead of placing my jars in a water bath and sealing my cans, I opt to freeze my sauce in the jars. It lasts nicely, keeps its vibrant red color and is easy!
Yield: About 6+ cups of sauce. I could just eat it with a spoon out of the jar.
“Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.” ― Miles Kington
Color is the theme of this vibrant and hearty side dish that delivers both bold flavors and textures. Reminiscent of something Italian, it is the picture-perfect picnic dish. Using a mandoline or vegetable slicer will make quick work of prepping the veggies. Be sure to slice them thinly, 1/8″ – 1/4″ thick, or you will be waiting forever for it to finish cooking. I used my herbal olive oils from The Virtuous Olive, to really push the flavors. It’s ok to use different veggies from the ones I chose. This is delicious hot or cold. Just paint your palette and be prepared for rave reviews!
1-2tsp.chopped fresh herbsthyme, basil, parsley or your choice or use herbs de Provence
salt
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 X 10" pan. The size of the pan is not important. If you are feeding a crowd, use a larger pan and prep more veggies.
Toss veggies lightly in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Layer zucchini slices along the side of the pan. Sprinkle with garlic, scatter the herbs and lightly salt. Repeat layering with tomatoes, garlic, herbs and salt, then the eggplant, garlic, herbs and salt. Continue layering until you've reached the end of the pan. If there are gaps, like I had in mine, roll up thin slices of zucchini and tomato to form mini roses. They serve a purpose and look pretty too. Drizzle entire dish with Bel Tocco Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Bake for 1 hour or until veggies are soft but not soggy. Let cool and serve either warm or cold.
This story is re-published from a July 2015 post. It is the perfect way to use those fresh, summer veggies.
“Summer night– even the stars are whispering to each other.” — Kobayashi Issa
Today’s breakfast! Granola topped fruit and yogurt.
Olive oil? In granola? Certo! (Certainly!) This idea offered to me by my sister-in-law Mirna, was worth exploring. I’ve made plenty of granola in the past and recently started craving it with my morning yogurt and fruit. A quick label read at the local healthy grocery store revealed that every single brand on the shelf from medium-priced to expensive all contained canola oil. As a canola oil rebel, I was disgusted that all these companies creating so-called nutritious and healthy cereals would be reluctant to add anything other than canola! Yes, I realize that canola oil has its benefits for some but I choose to eliminate it from my diet – GMO’s, pesticides, high heat processing – you get the picture. When the suggestion was made to substitute olive oil for canola oil, at first I suspected it might have a flavor incongruent to the cinnamon and maple syrup in the granola. I took the chance anyway. The results – the best granola I have ever made. I used my Galantino medium fruity EVOO but think it would be extraordinary with lemon or mandarin oil as well. The granola cooks at a very low temperature so the oil remains stable and holds onto all its health benefits. Because the ingredients in granola are personal, feel free to substitute your own favorite nuts or fruits. I love coconut and feel this adds the amount of sweetness I like. One trick I’ve learned over the years is to add the nuts and coconut nearing the end of the baking time so they do not over-toast. I stir in the dried fruit when the granola has cooled. So for you brave hearts that try this delicious snack, please send me a comment and let me know how you liked it. I think it will make a great nibble at work!
1Tablespooncinnamon I used a bit more and love King Arthur’s Vietnamese Cinnamon
3/4teaspoonsalt
1/2cupextra virgin olive oil
1/2cupmaple syrup
1cupnuts: I used 1/2 cup slivered almonds and 1/2 cup pecans
3/4cupdried fruit of your choice: I used dried cherriesgolden raisins, dried cranberries, and dried blueberries
3/4cupsweetened or unsweetened coconut or as I just discoveredcoconut chips
A sprinkling of chia or flax seeds is nice too.
Method
Mix together the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
Combine the olive oil and maple syrup.
Pour olive oil/syrup mixture over oats and stir to combine well.
Pour out onto a 13 X 18 baking sheet lined with parchment paper. I do this so the pan stays cleaner! You can also use two smaller cookie sheets. If you use two cookie sheets, the layers are thinner so watch carefully as it will cook faster.
Bake for about 2 hours or until desired crunchiness and well-browned. Stir every 20 minutes to evenly brown.
Just before the granola is finished, stir in the coconut and nuts and cook just until browned.
Cool and stir in the dried fruit of your choice.
This granola is not clumpy. If you prefer it clumpy, give it a gentle stir in the beginning and then allow pieces to stick together.
A word of caution: Do not be tempted to increase the heat to cook the granola faster. I did this the last time I made it and it burned very quickly!
“The olive tree is such a beautiful reminder that this isn’t how it’s going to be forever. On the other side of the harsh wind is fruit. On the other side of the process of being broken and waiting is a useful heart free of bitterness. On the other side of being pressed and crushed is oil . . . the most valuable part of me set free to emerge.”
It’s been a busy month and I am happy to announce that my new enterprise, The Virtuous Olive is up and running. The shop is stocked with fruity oils, natural and flavored. My goal is to bring a taste of the true Italy to your table. These photos are from La Fenice, Galantino’s personal olive estate near beautiful Bisceglie where I visited this last month.
Picking Nolce, or the new olivesThe chili peppers used for the Peperocino olive oilA very old olive tree living the good life at La Fenice
I hope you visit my site! There is something for everyone’s taste, I promise. I will be back next Wednesday with more tales from my recent trip to Italy so stay tuned.
My visit to Galantino in Puglia, Italy, was a composition of olive oil familiarization, in-depth visits to Puglia’s cheese makers, ceramists, bread artisans and olive groves and, the fun part, cooking lessons with Galantino’s head chef Leo. I joined a group from Holland who was also there for the same adventure. Each day we prepared different dishes all using a variety of what else – olive oil! The two recipes here, a foccacia and Caprese Cake are described with mostly technique as the recipes were for the masses. In the upcoming weeks, when my Virtuous Olive site goes live and I am back from Italy, I will publish detailed recipes. The Caprese Cake is especially delicious and different with the addition of orange or mandarin olive oil.
Chef Leo pours significant amounts of olive oil to coat the foccacia pans. All this oil enhances the flavor of this delicious Italian staple.
Chef Leo’s foccacia is a mixture of flour and potato flour. This cuts down the gluten and makes it a softer, spongier bread. The copious amounts of olive oil give the outer crust a crispiness.
The dough is pushed into the edges of the pan with fingertips to create the small divots characteristic of foccacia.We each “decorated” a foccacia with slightly simmered pomodoro – tomato – oregano and sea salt.Perla, the family dog, makes her hang out strategically and hopefully between the dining room and kitchen.Eggs and sugar whisk together until fluffy with air in preparation for the Caprese Cake.Maud stirs the orange olive oil into the melted chocolate. Decadent!Cocoa powder and ground almonds are carefully folded into the eggs.The melted chocolate is stirred into the batter and poured into an oiled and floured pan to bake for only 10 minutes.The group eagerly awaits dinner and….the Caprese Cake.This cake tastes as good as it looks. The orange and almond marry well with the chocolate giving it intensity.
Recipes will be forthcoming! I am eating more than I ever have here in the land of food alive with flavor and taking notes!
Nestled into the heart of Puglia lies the seaside town of Bisceglie in southeastern Italy. I am here on an olive oil discovery, to slip into a slower pace and to delve for clues about what makes this such an alluring part of the country.
The people have a warmth and contentment about them. They seem satisfied with life and most that I have met have long lineages in Bisceglie. It’s all about family and their culture of which they are passionately proud.
A visit to the Fish Market on Friday got my adrenaline flowing and whet my appetite for the cooking classes I will attend. For now, let me share with you my favorite photos of the people and their livelihood.
A thinking moment.Live, fresh prawns awaiting their fate.Advertising his seafood.Describing, in Italian, how to stuff the zucchini flowers.Dinner. Octopus soup.This is for you my belle soeur! Our favorite Italian plums.Scooping out the sea urchin’s delicacies.Freshly picked chilis, roots and all.Waving away the flies.Ciao! This darling group of friends called to me to take their photo. Looking good!
Olive oil is my passion. Food is my passion and travel is my passion. I have decided to combine all these loves into my new business, The Virtuous Olive, and it is here that I am first announcing its launch. After last year’s visit to Puglia, Italy and to a local frantoio, (olive mill), my heart spoke to me and insisted that I import this olive oil. This is not just any olive oil. It is 100% pure extra virgin Italian oil made from olives solely grown in Puglia. Its flavor is lovely, distinct and makes a statement.
Italian Bootie from my trip last year. I finished this lot off pronto and knew it had to be a part of my permanent pantry!
Next week I travel to Puglia to learn from the masters at Galantino all the nuances that make olive oil special. We will cook, olive grove gaze and be immersed in all things olive. This is just my cup of tea. I plan to post recipes, insights and historical facts as well as indulging in some amazing food. Puglia, also known as the heel of Italy’s boot, is magical and unspoiled and filled with warm, welcoming faces. Click here to see a map of the region and to read about its baroque architecture, trulli, music and artisans who inhabit this piece of paradise. Puglia map and highlights
My travels will also take me back to Lucca, where I will stay with two opera singers (Lucca is Puccini central) and renew friendships from last year. I plan to visit Modena, capital of balsamic vinegar, to discover the perfect balsamic to complement my beautiful oils. My foodie and adventuress spirit will be soaring!
My website and shop, www.thevirtuousolive, will be stocked with a variety of olive oils and vinegars, and open for business after I return, mid October. Stay tuned for more details.
A tavola non si invecchia At the table with good friends and family you do not become old.
Laureen’s positive energy is contagious!
This last weekend, I enjoyed one of the finest stress-free parties I’ve ever thrown. What’s my secret? Read on for clues!
Recent trips to Italy have inspired me to excavate my pasta machine and crank it up. What better way to renew my acquaintance with this machine, than to invite other food lovers to share in the experience of making fresh, homemade pasta? The friends I made in Rome on a food tour were in San Diego for the weekend. Thus the inspiration for a pasta party with friends of all ages to gather, cook Italian and swap stories of Italy. I cranked up the Mambo Italiano tunes from Pandora and soon the spoons were stirring, hands were kneading and bodies were swaying to the beat of the music. Are we having fun? It was a blast!
Making spinach pasta – one of my favorites.Starting the kneading process.
Here’s our pasta featured lunch menu:
White lasagna layered with grilled veggies ala TV’s “The Chew”
Fettuccine with spicy Italian olive oil, fresh Pecorino cheese and black pepper
Spinach pasta ravioli filled with spinach, ricotta and Parmesan
Fresh greens from my garden
Homemade Ciabatta bread made by master baker Eva
Fresh strawberries with vanilla ice cream and my homemade limoncello
After a how-to demo of using your fingers to gradually incorporate the flour into the well of eggs and olive oil, I turned the mixing over to Laureen, the friend I met in Rome. The dough almost looks as if it is not going together but it’s important not to add more liquid at this point. Sometimes strong hands are needed to pull the dough into a cohesive mass. Laureen’s husband, Brent was our man.
Folding the pasta.
His strong hands swiftly kneaded the mixture into a beautiful soft and smooth dough which we let rest for 20 minutes. Even though I’ve made homemade pasta many times before, I did some research and thought Guiliano Bugialli’s method for rolling out the dough was worth a try. First, feed the dough through the machine on the widest setting. Then fold the dough into thirds like a book.
Notice how this pasta dough is much coarser than the multiple rolled pasta.A more refined pasta.
Feed it through the machine again on the widest setting and repeat folding and rolling on this setting eight more times. After the ninth roll, reduce the settings to move the rollers closer together. Feed the dough through each of the remaining settings once until the dough is almost translucent.
Brent’s egg pasta is perfecto! We made two batches of pasta. One pure egg and one spinach. The egg is made with 2 cups of flour, 2 eggs and 2 tsp. of olive oil. Simple.
With patience, Brent folded and rolled and I must say, the texture of the pasta was the best I’ve ever made. This technique is a keeper!
How much more beautiful does this get? Or do I just love food??Our antipasto munchies. The butter is homemade by moi!
Everyone had a task. My friend Eva made a red sauce from tomatoes I canned last summer. Laureen carefully cut out raviolis, made from our homemade spinach pasta, and filled them with spinach and ricotta.
Laureen’s classy raviolis.Sliced veggies ready for their grill marks.
My mom manned the BBQ grilling thinly sliced eggplant and zucchini to be layered into the white béchamel-sauced lasagna.
La mama hard at work.Mom’s finished lasagne The secret ingredient is lemon zest and lemon juice stirred into the finished bechamel.
Eva tossed a salad with greens from my garden, southern Italian olive oil and thick aged balsamic vinegar from The California Olive.
Eva gives a splash of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to the greens.Eva showing off the eyes of her bread.
Lucky me for having a great friend who makes the best bread I have ever put in my mouth. Eva presented us with two huge loaves of crunchy Ciabatta with a chewy interior and perfect taste. She seriously needs to take this to the next level and sell her bread to all her fans.
Ciabatta made with love by Eva. Divine.This is one happy kitchen!
The meal was coming together! A bottle of Prosecco and a toast celebrated our friendships. It was time to indulge!
Salute!Mangiamo!Ravioli, fettucine and lasagne. Italian heaven.The company IS the party!
È raccogliendosi a tavola che gli amici apprezzano la gioia di stare insieme. It is around the table that friends understand best the warmth of being together.
Limoncello drenched ice cream and strawberries were the digestive.
If you haven’t thrown a spontaneous party recently, I highly recommend it. All you need is adventurous friends, happy, snappy, music, a few ingredients and a dose of quality time. It’s easier than you’d imagine and more fun too! Buon Appetito!
Thanks to Brent and Laureen for sharing some of their photos with me. Also, The California Olive is a great resource for local and delicious olive oils and balsamic vinegars: www.thecaliforniaolive.com
Abbandonati all’amore e alla cucina! Love and cook with wild abandon!
One thing I really wanted to do on this vacation was to learn more about olive oil and what better way to do that then to learn the process from the ground up. Andreas is a dear friend of Angela and Davino’s and his olives were ready- now. So we jumped in the car and drove up the hill to his grove of densely populated trees. A crew was already picking so we pulled on our boots and went to work.
Angela shows me the technique.
Andreas admiring his bounty.
Large nets are spread out on the ground to catch the olives as they drop. We are careful not to step on the collected olives. I am reminded of the I Love Lucy episode where she steps on the grapes to make the wine!
The net catches the fruit.
Kim climbs a tree to reach the top olives. I learn to just gently release the fruit from the branches by pulling with a downward motion. Kind of like removing rosemary or tarragon from their stem. It feels natural and soon I have a rhythm. My mind relaxes and the only thing I’m thinking of is how therapeutic this is. Sort of like weeding only more fun.
Kim up high to pick every last olive.
Some trees are loaded, some slim. Some trees carry green olives and a few purple, others thick with mostly smooth- skinned deep purple olives. As I harvest one particularly beautiful tree, I say the olives are too gorgeous to pick. This generates a few laughs as we know they all must be stripped naked to enjoy the benefits of their pressing.
They look like grapes, yes?
Once several trees are picked, Sauro shows me how to gather up the nets around the trees tilting them so the olives roll together into a central meeting place. These olives are then poured into a large crate which will be transported to the olive mill just down the road.
Rolling the olives to meet together.
Sauro is Andreas’ lead olive expert who also prunes the trees and watches over every stage of growth. His smile is infectious!
The expert!
Rain starts to fall which means it is a good time to stop for a drink of water. Minutes later and we are back in business. A wafting of mint fills the air around the trees as all the wild herbs have released their scent with the rain. Could it get any better than this?
My olive-picking partner, Angela, and me in our harvest boots.
With the crates filling up, it is time for lunch. How lucky we are to be the beneficiaries of Kim, Andreas’ girlfriend’s cooking. She is Vietnamese and has prepared warm and tasty spring rolls which we gobble up with a crisp Proseco.
Delicioso!
The next course – what a farmer’s lunch – is traditional Goulash. A thin paprika sauce envelopes tender chunks of meat accompanied by perfectly steamed potatoes. Delightful.
Kim’s paprika infused Goulash
Red wine from the region is poured and again I am loving and appreciating every drop realizing that it is not available in the States.
Our hosts Andreas and Kim toasting the harvest.
Grazie Andreas for including me in your harvest and welcoming me into your home. The friends I am meeting here are warm, friendly and happy in life.
Next up- the pressing of the olives! Story coming soon!
Olive oil is so – Italian! Its warmth and/or sassiness can jazz up almost any dish, imparting different nuances for whatever food you want to enhance. The Italians are proud of their olive heritage and like to joke that butter is “forbidden” in Pulia. Instead of butter at the table, one often finds a bottle of local oil for dipping bread or topping off pastas and salads.
I am “in amore” with olive oil and use it daily but now have a renewed appreciation for its origin and its flavor. One of the highlights of my trip to Pulia was touring a 19th century olive mill and farm called Galantino.
The family that started it all.
Galantino is dedicated to the entire process of producing exquisite oil, sustainably with the least amount of impact on Mother Earth. Most of the olives for their oils are grown on the estate from their over 15,000 trees. Olives are harvested in mid October through December and then crushed within a few hours and never more than 24 hours.
Mighty blocks of granite for the gentle press.
Giant granite rounds, which ensure a gentle, cool press, crush the olives employing the same techniques as the ancient Romans thousands of years ago. If the desired result is lemon infused olive oil, fresh lemons are crushed along with the olives. This method creates a bright, authentic fresh taste that makes my tongue revel with each sip.
Lemon infusion.
Our Italian guides gave us a lesson in tasting olive oil. Similar to tasting wine, you follow a protocol. Visually, look for a yellow/green/olive color; smell the aroma, an olive scent with tones of grass, almonds, flowers; and then sip. Taste first under the tongue for sweet and fruity. The next taste should be bitter and the third taste, hot, peppery, spicy. If you taste all these elements in a balanced and harmonious fashion, there is no added filler oil commonly included in less expensive olive oils.
A specialty oil called L’Affiorato is the hand skimmed top 2-3% of the freshly pressed olives that naturally rises to the top of the olive paste after milling. Its exquisite, delicate and fruity flavor lends itself beautifully as finishing oil.
Many of the infused flavors we tasted.
After our lesson in the production of olive oil, our host, Massimo, led us into an enchanting gazebo-covered garden where a tasting and lunch awaited us. A plate with the olive oil to be tasted was passed around accompanied by chunks of Italian bread. A unison of “oohs” and “ahs” sang out with the first taste of the olive oil soaked bread. From subtle to spicy, the distinguished flavors filled every sense in my body: the beautiful surrounding, the smell of the blossoming lemon trees, the romantic Italian accents, the feel of happiness and warmth for just being here and finally the taste of purity, of Italy, of love. I was in heaven.
Surrounded by citrus and olives.
Following the tasting, Galantino’s chef prepared a lunch spread, antipasto style, using all the oils we had just tasted. A visual feast, I could taste each dish with my eyes. Jugs of local, delicious wine graced the tables.
Antipasto style!Colorfully delicious.A more familiar caprese. The Italian cheese is so creamy.New friends.Pasta called “calamarata” probably because it looks like little calamari rings. Served with a fondue of pecorino.Sharing our enthusiasm for the food of southern Italy.
The dessert, a mandarin olive oil cake, moist and not overly sweet was simple yet sophisticated. When asked about ingredients in the cake, the chef graciously gave us the recipe verbally.
Mandarin olive oil cake served with orange sorbet, drizzled with more olive oil!
Our bellies full and our minds, just a little fuzzy from the wine, we head down a pathway to their retail store. A shopping frenzy ensued. We are handed forms to fill out so we can have our “taste of Italy” shipped back home. Since my mom and I decided that olive oil is our souvenir of the trip, we shop with abandon. We both love to cook so I know we will use all the flavors within the year- a time frame for freshness.
Mom deciding what to buy. Too many choices!
The helpful, handsome Italian men help us with our orders and assure us our oils will arrive in about two weeks time. The anticipation is already killing me!
I keep reflecting upon the genuineness, if that is a word, of this company and their high standards. Granite, sustainable, local, sweet, bitter, hot and peppery are the images etched in my memory of this enlightening trip.
Recipe for the Mandarin Olive Oil Cake
My mom and I tested the recipe given to us by Galantino’s chef and here it is with a few tweaks and twists. The texture is like a moist sponge cake, the aroma out of the oven resembles a lemon angel food cake – dreamy! Feel free to improvise with orange olive oil.
Line the bottom of a 8-9” springform pan with parchment paper. Oil the bottom and sides of the pan with olive oil.
1/3cuplemon infused olive oil or the best extra virgin olive oil you have on hand75ml
4eggs
1cupplus 1 Tbls. sugar200 gr.
zest of one lemon
1 1/2cupsplus 2 Tbls. all purpose flour200 gr.
2 ¾tsp.baking powder10 gr.
pinchof salt
Method
Stir together the oil, eggs, sugar and zest.
Mix together the flour, baking powder and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the oil and stir gently just until incorporated.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes. Test that a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife along the sides and release the bottom of the pan from the sides. Cool completely.
Serve with any fruit, cream, ice cream or gelato. This cake holds up well to an assortment of fillings and can be made ahead. There are so many ways to serve this simple dessert. You can also split the layer in half, fill the cake with whipped cream and sprinkle on some fresh berries or slices of summer fruit.
Garnished lemon olive oil cake with fresh orange slices and whipped cream.Let me know your versions!
The discovery of a new dish does more for the happiness of the human race than the discovery of a star. Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
