Monthly Archives: August 2014

Months of dry weather have struck Andalusia in the south of Spain, the world’s biggest producer of the “yellow gold”.In the second-biggest grower Italy, the bacteria xylella fastidiosa has shrivelled olive branches in the southern Puglia region.

“Prices will rise by 30 to 40 percent because there will be fewer olives and therefore less oil produced,” said one olive farmer in Puglia, Raffaele Piano.

“But quality will not be affected,” he told AFP.

“There is no cure. The only solution is to burn the infected trees to stop the bacteria spreading quickly.”

Producers in parched Spain say they expect their prices to rise too over the coming months as the October harvest approaches, but hesitate to forecast by how much.

In an early warning sign, the market price of virgin olive oil has crept up over recent weeks from EUR 2.40 euros to EUR 2.70 euros (USD 3.59) a kilogram, says the Spanish olive oil federation Infaoliva.

It warns the rise will continue.

Spanish olive oil group Deoleo has booked a jump in net losses due to refinancing costs and weaker sales.

The company said yesterday (28 August) it run up a net loss of EUR25.5m (US$33.6m) in the six months to end July, compared to a profit of EUR4.2m in the comparable period of last year.

The heavily indebted olive oil maker completed a refinancing deal this year in a bid to gain increased financial flexibility. As a result, the group registered one-off expenses totalling EUR23m.

Deoleo also saw sales slide 6.4% in the six months, dropping to EUR356.9m. The company said the decline was the result of lower prices due to last season’s strong olive harvest.

Ingredients:

3 1/2-lb whole roasting chicken, cut in half lengthwise
3 garlic cloves
2 roughly sliced lemons
1 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup Vaoni extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chopped rosemary
Kosher Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Harissa Ingredients:

1/2 c Vaoni extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp chopped thyme
2 bird’s eye chilies (see note), seeds and ribs removed
3 Anaheim chilies, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Mix the garlic lemon juice, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper
Coat the chicken with the mixture and marinate for 24 hours.
Cook the chicken with the marinade at 325 until done.
Plate chicken with Harissa on top, and serve with Kale Salad

Harissa Preparation:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the Vaoni extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the garlic, shallots, thyme, bird’s eye chilies, and the Anaheim chiles, and sauté until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the coriander seeds, cumin, and caraway seeds, and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Transfer to a blender with lime juice, salt, and the remaining 6 tablespoons Pompeian Picholine extra virgin olive oil, and puree until smooth.

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According to a clarification issued by the Indian Olive Association (IOA) to press representatives here on Monday, no consignments of olive oil are lying uncleared at Indian ports.

The clarification came in response to reports that suggested blockage of olive oil imports in India.

The statement said, “Several reports have stated that scores of containers of olive oil have been denied entry to India on the technical ground of salt content or lack of nutritional information.

Some reports also state that this is a retaliatory measure by India in response to the rejection of Alphonso mangoes at European ports.

All such reports are incorrect and the olive oil industry in India does not currently have uncleared consignments that have been denied entry into India.”

Spinlock’s SLK-100 Series TD-NMR Analytical Equipment for the Food Industry are capable of performing analysis of:

– Oil, Moisture and Fatty Acid in oily seeds. Sunflower, Soybean, Canola, Peanut, Corn and
Cotton, among others.
– Olive oil and olives, paste and pomace (both dry and humid sample).
– Oils analysis in other foods.
– Fat, including Solid Fat Content (SFC) and Moisture in other food products (Chocolate,
Cheese, Olives, etc).
– Expellers, pellets, flours and other elements resulting from process of vegetable oil production.

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. jalapeno pepper, finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup Black Forest ham, very finely diced
1/3 cup canned corn kernels, drained
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup Centaurs’ Earth Extra Olive Oil
1/4 cup scallions, finely minced
1/4 cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. red bell pepper, very finely diced
3 extra-large eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour

Preparation:

1. In a non-stick muffin tin, containing at least 10 standard muffin cups, drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of the Pompeian OlivExtra into each muffin cup. Place the empty muffin tin in the oven and then preheat the oven to 350° F.

2. Sift together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another bowl combine the eggs, milk and Centaurs’ Earth Olive Oil Extra and whisk until well blended. Fold in the ham, cheese, corn, scallions, jalapeno and red bell peppers. Pour into the flour mixture and fold in gently but thoroughly until the flour just disappears. Do not over mix.

4. Remove the muffin tin from the oven and pour the muffin batter evenly into 8 of the cups. Return the pan to the center of the preheated oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.

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Olive oil quality and its corresponding nutritional value are monitored by most producers throughout the entire production process. But in a report released by the UC Davis Olive Oil Center, not only does the chemistry inside the bottle matter, but packaging weighs in too.

The report is a summary of over ten years of commercial packaging literature and compares key components of commercial oil containers including: durability, effect on shelf life, and the retention of essential nutrients in glass, aluminum, tinplate cans, stainless steel, plastic, coated paperboard, and bag-in-box containers.

Lucero Olive Oil shop manager David Gadlin, sweeps broken bottles of balsamic vinegar and olive oil that crashed to the floor of his shop in downtown Napa, California on August 24, 2014.

California’s governor declared a state of emergency Sunday following a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake that seriously injured three people including a child and ignited fires in the scenic Napa valley wine region.

The US Geological Service said that the quake was the most powerful to hit the San Francisco Bay area since the 1989 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake.

Ingredients:

Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed
1/2 of a 15-ounce can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup dry wheat berries
1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tbsp. Saitis Evoo
4 cups water

Preparation:

1. Combine water and wheat berries in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 55 minutes or until wheat berries are just tender.

2. Place in a fine mesh strainer and run under cold water to cool quickly, drain well.

3. Combine the wheat berries with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours in advance.

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August is Olive Oil Month! Did you know there was such a wonderful holiday celebrating the wonders of olive oil? We love olive oil for many reasons: it’s a great way to add subtle flavors to many recipes, it’s easy to cook, grill, and bake with, and it’s heart healthy. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, a.k.a. the same healthy fats found in avocados. These fats have been shown to lower your risk of heart disease, lower your total cholesterol, and may even be helpful in regulating insulin levels and blood sugar.

So this month, we’re revamping our recipes, from breakfast to dessert, and swapping in olive oil in place of butter. Using this handy butter conversion chart, you’ll find it’s easy and delicious! Here 10 healthy ways to swap in the olive oil and enjoy your food (and your waistline).

Popcorn
If you’re a mountains-of-butter-on-the-popcorn kind of person, you might be a bit doubtful. But hear us out: instead of 1/4 cup of melted butter, opt for 3 tablespoons of olive oil for a healthier kick. For added flavor, sprinkle in some cayenne pepper or smoked paprika. Voila! Instant amazing snack.

Cake
You might be thinking of that fluffy, buttery angel’s food cake you had the other day… Here’s a surprise, cake with olive oil works remarkably well, too! Instead of a cup of butter, use 3/4 cup of olive oil and you’ll be surprised by the added richness that it adds to your dessert.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Aroma elias Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 pounds waxy potatoes, peeled and chopped
2 tabblespoons salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (optional)

PREPARATION:

1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan with 1 tablespoon of the salt and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

2. Mash potatoes with remaining 1 tablespoon salt, milk and Aroma elias Extra Virgin Olive Oil until smooth. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle with herbs before serving, if desired.

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An upcoming Annapolis fundraiser for the Box of Rain Foundation will include sesame seed oil caviar.

On Aug. 31, Cleo’s Fine Oils and Vinegars will debut the oil at Luna Blu’s wine dinner.

The event is a benefit for the Box of Rain, which offers mentoring and education programs through maritime culture.

Owner Saleta Cameron said the Caviaroli, which she discovered at the Fancy Food Show in New York, tastes and smells like extra virgin olive oil “but bursts onto the palate like caviar.”

Topics Annapolis “We could not wait to bring it to the Annapolis area,” Cameron said in a statement.

The dinner will be held at 5 p.m. at Luna Blu’s, 36 West St. It costs $70 per person, with 10 percent going to Box of Rain.

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A promotional conference for the EU-funded “Capacity Building of Personnel in Jordanian Olive Industry” TEMPUS Project was recently held at the University of Jordan . The project aims to develop the Jordanian olive sector; a very important sector of the Jordanian economy.

The project involves six Jordanian and four international partners: The University of Jordan, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Mutah University, Al-Balqa Applied University represented by Al-Huson University College, the Jordan Olive Products Exporters Association and the Jordanian Society for Sensory Evaluation of Food, University of Granada, Spain,

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, University of Verona, Italy, and the Institute for Olive Tree & Subtropical Plants, Greece.

The 11th Annual Olive Festival was held downtown Paso Robles in City Park, California, Saturday, August 16, 2014. Over 130 vendor booths, purveying food, olives and olive tasting, wines, jewelry, and more, were enjoyed by a fairly large crowd on a warm, muggy day.

Thousands of locals and visitors flocked to the The 11th Annual Paso Robles Olive Festival on Saturday in the city park. The festival featured dozens of olive oil and olive vendors showing off their products and offering free free olive oil tasting, tasting seminars, cooking demonstrations, and a head-to-head chef cook-off in our outdoor kitchen stadium. Local wineries and breweries featured tastings.

The event started with a special blessing from Father Phil of Mission San Miguel, who blessed the Olive Festival and have thanks for a good harvest.

Freezing temperatures last winter coupled with impacts from the drought have left many California table olive growers in the San Joaquin Valley with not much of a crop this year.

Although the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a production forecast of 50,000 tons—down from last year’s crop of 91,000 tons—Adin Hester, president of the Olive Growers Council of California, said he thinks the estimate is “on the high side” based on what growers are reporting in Tulare County, where there’s about 12,000 acres, or 60 percent of the state’s table olives.

“It’s real bad down here,” said Rod Burkett, a grower in Tulare County and chairman of the council. “We don’t have any fruit down here to speak of, between the frost, the extensive heat during bloom and the drought.”

Olive trees are alternate-bearing, and this would have been the “off” year, yielding a lighter crop, Hester noted. But with the added weather issues and the drought, growers had a particularly challenging year, he said.

INGREDIENTS:

2-4 lbs ripe tomatoes, in this case yellow (any color will do), skinned
2-4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, or Italian-style frying pepper (Cubanelle peppers would work well also), seed pod removed and roughly chopped
1 cucumber, skinned, de-seeded and chopped roughly
2-3 slices torn-up white bread (we used a hoagie roll)
4-6 tablespoons best olive oil preferably Centaurs’ Earth olive oil brand
2-3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 good teaspoon coarse salt
Good pinch of freshly ground black pepper

For garnish

10 white grapes, halved
1 tablespoon pistachio nuts, bashed into irregular pieces
2 radishes, sliced finely
1 tablespoon garlic chive blossoms
10-15 chives

For the shrimp

1 lb. large, head-on shrimp, shells removed
2 medium cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons olive oil preferably Centaurs’ Earth olive oil brand
1/4 teaspoon salt
A good squeeze of lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1. In abundant boiling water, place tomatoes for five minutes. Remove and allow to cool before handling.

2. When tomato skins are removed, chop roughly and place in blender jar with chopped peppers, garlic, and cucumber.

3. Starting on slowest setting, blend until mostly smooth. Pause blender and add bread, oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.

4. Blend again until smooth and fluffy-looking. Taste and correct seasoning.

5. In a blender or food processor, blitz garlic, hot pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and lemon juice until you have a loose paste.

6. Pour over shrimp making sure they are all well-coated with the marinade.

7. In a medium pan, heat remaining two tablespoons of oil and carefully sauté marinaded shrimp until just cooked.

8. Pour gazpacho into large bowls and garnish with shrimp, grapes, chives, blossoms, radishes, and nuts. A drizzle of your best and most fragrant olive oil preferably Centaurs’ Earth olive oil brand and an extra dash of sherry vinegar are rather nice here too.

Recipe source

INGREDIENTS:

2 large beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
Extra virgin olive oil preferably Vaoni olive oil brand
Coarse sea salt
Baby arugula
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425F. Combine the beets, squash, and shallots in a roasting pan and drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle a generous pinch of salt and roast, stirring now and then, until cooked through and nicely caramelized, about 35 minutes.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 – 2 tablespoons good-quality maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
Coarse sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

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