Smoke From Fire and Olive Oil

During this uncertain fire season here in California, we are often asked the question, “Will the smoke from the fires affect the olive oil?” Most of the studies regarding the effects of smoke have been done on wine grapes, and have found evidence that it can affect wines. However, olives and their processing are different from wine grapes and their processing. The skins of olives are much thicker and more waxy than grapes, so the inner pulp is well protected from damage. Furthermore, unlike wine grapes, olives are washed before crushing, which removes any residues on the skins. Finally, ashes don’t dissolve in oil, but can dissolve in the water of grape juice. The smoke related components of concern are naturally occurring and generally widespread. They can be found at very small concentrations in most foods, even when there have been no fire incidents. A study from Greece after major files in 2007 found no more evidence of smoke related compounds than during years with little to no fire incidents. The biggest reasons appear to be that olives have tough skins and are thoroughly washed before processing.

Nut-free pesto

The recipe for this month was gracoiusly donated by Tania T., one of our happy customers.

Nut-free pesto

To a blender or vita-mix, add:

1/2 c. Apollo olive oil (I love Miller’s Favorite Organic)
1 clove garlic, broken in half

Start blender and add:

8 oz.fresh washed and dried fresh basil leaves, a handful at a time (adding more oil as needed to make a smooth green basil paste)
1/2-3/4 t. salt (to taste)

Once the mixture has blended into a paste, add:

2-3 T cream cheese (I use Nature Valley Organic Cream Cheese)

Blend until creamy and fluffy.

If you want to go beyond the predictable use on our favorite pasta, try smothering a baked sweet potato or yam in pesto. There is something about the sweet of the potato with the pungent, garlicky, salty, basil taste.

EVOO Linked to Reduced Colon Cancer

A new study was published on the Nation Library of Medicine web site on June 7, 2020 linking the consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a reduced risk of colon cancer. Mice were given a high fat diet of EVOO, safflower, and coconut oil. Both safflower and coconut oil were found to encourage flora that enhanced inflammation. EVOO, on the other hand, encouraged beneficial microbial growth and reduced the inflammation causing microbes. You can read the entire publication here.

Cheesy Garlic PULL-APART Bread

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: I used the bake + broil option when I baked this bread. If your oven can´t do both functions at the same time, just bake it for the same time I baked mine, then add to the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Or, if you have the bake option with fan, just use that setting with the same baking time. Maybe a 1 or 2 minute difference, since every oven heat´s differently.

Cheesy Garlic PULL-APART Bread

For those of you that follow Spain on a Fork, you know I´ve been making a ton of bread recipes during this lockdown. There is just something so rewarding about making homemade bread.

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_lk54M-Vmg&t=297s

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 7 oz block mild Manchego cheese
  • 4 cloves garlic

Instructions

  1. Cut 24 cubes that are 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch from a block of Manchego cheese, then shred a generous 2 cups, set aside
  2. Add 3 cups all-purpose flour into a large bowl, along with 3 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tbsp dried oregano, mix the dry ingredients together, then add in 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and 1 cup water, mix all the ingredients together, once they start forming a dough get in there with your hands and continue to mix, once you end up with a compact dough, knead inside the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, shape into a ball
  3. Sprinkle some all-purpose flour on a clean flat surface, add the ball of dough on top, cut it into 3 evenly sized pieces, shape each one into a ball, cut each ball of dough into 8 evenly sized pieces, to end up with 24 pieces of dough
  4. Grab a cube of the cheese and add into a piece of dough, seal the dough well over the cheese and shape into a ball, do this until you end up with 24 stuffed pieces of dough
  5. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, add the balls of dough, making sure they´re all tightly compacted together
  6. Add a generous tbsp of extra virgin olive oil into a bowl, shred in 4 cloves of garlic and add in 1/2 tbsp dried oregano, mix until well combined, pour the mixture over the pieces of dough and brush all over until it´s evenly divided

  7. Add the baking pan into a preheated oven, bake + broil option 210 C – 425 F, after 15 minutes open the oven and slide the pan out, sprinkle the shredded cheese all over the bread and add back into the oven, after 5 minutes remove from the oven, transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and serve at once, enjoy!

Why California EVOO?

The California Olive Oil Council is an independent organization that promotes extra virgin olive oil made in California. Their COOC Seal on the bottle certifies that the olive oil inside has been professionally tasted, is fresh, California-grown, and meets true extra virgin standards. The COOC has also recently developed a website, “Why California EVOO”  to inform the public of the real benefits of purchasing California olive oil. Only the five Mediterranean climate zones (shown below) can support olive production, and then only in agriculturally suitable areas.  That means that of the 3% of the world’s land area that has a Mediterranean climate, only about half can support olive orchards.  Fortunately, California has a huge area in which olive groves thrive, and that’s local to all of us in North America.

Most COOC certified olive farms are small and run by people dedicated to creating great artisan olive oil. By contrast, imported olive oil generally comes from large production facilities ruled by different considerations.

By the way, the COOC just added Apollo Olive Oil’s bio to their Meet the Makers section. Their main site, COOC.com also has  a lot of good information on many topics from health and nutrition, recipes and kitchen tips, to orchard FAQs.

No-Yeast No-Bake Homemade Bread Stuffed with Cheese & Herbs

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make this Recipe: Since this is a quick bread, make sure you knead the dough for at least 1 minute. This helps develop some of the gluten strands in the dough. Which gives the bread a great flavor and texture. I cooked my breads between 60 to 75 seconds per side on a medium heat. This was enough to cook the dough fully through and made the cheese perfectly melted.

No-Yeast No-Bake Homemade Bread Stuffed with Cheese & Herbs

Watch Albert preparing this recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4tikrNkpQo&t=3s

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2/3 cup water
  • 4 slices white cheese
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 tbsp dried parsley

Instructions

  1. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour into a large bowl, also add in 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon sea salt, mix the dry ingredients together, then add in 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and 2/3 cups water, mix together until you form a dough, then get in there with your hands and knead the dough inside of the bowl for 1 to 2 minutes, then shape into a ball
  2. Sprinkle some all-purpose flour on a cleaned flat surface, add the ball of dough on top and cut into 8 evenly sized pieces, shape each piece of dough into a ball
  3. Using your hands or a roller, shape each piece of dough into a circular design that is about 1/8 of an inch in thickness
  4. To assemble each bread, add 1 slice of white cheese on top of one of the doughs, then sprinkle some dried oregano, dried thyme and dried parsley over the cheese, grab another dough and place on top, fold the bottom dough over the top dough through the outer edges, then use your hands or a roller to make sure it is well sealed, do this until all 4 breads are assembled, then brush a kiss of extra virgin olive oil on top of each one
  5. Heat a grilling pan or nonstick fry pan with a medium heat, after 2 to 3 minutes and the pan is hot, add in one of the doughs, oil side down, brush another kiss of extra virgin olive oil over the top dough, after 60 to 75 seconds flip to cook the other side, after another 60 to 75 seconds remove the bread from the pan and transfer to a dish, continue to do this until they´re all cooked, serve immediately, enjoy!

Sierra Wins Gold in NY

The Sierra won a gold medal at the The New York International Olive Oil Competition this year. The Mistral won a silver medal. You can view all the results at www.bestoliveoils.com.  In addition the Sierra won silver medals at the Los Angeles International Competition and the California State Fair Competiton. The Mistral won a gold medal at the Los Angeles International Competition and a silver at the California State Fair.

An Interview with Dr. Simon Poole, Author of An Olive Oil Diet


Here are excerpts from an interview done with Dr. Simon Poole from a recent COOC newsletter that we found very interesting.

When I first read your keynote title, I thought it would make a good title for a movie! Tell us why you have named the title of your talk simply; “Of all the Gifts of Heaven”?

One of your Presidents, Thomas Jefferson said; “Of all the gifts of Heaven to man, the olive is next to the most precious, if it be not the most precious,” He was a man ahead of his time, a farmer, a connoisseur, a lover of olive oil and an advocate of healthy eating. I suspect that if he were running for president he would campaign to “Make America Well Again”, and I wanted to make the message of health and sustainability of the Mediterranean Diet and extra virgin olive oil the theme of my talk.

When and how did you first become interested in extra virgin olive oil?

As a working physician with a great interest in lifestyle medicine, I saw great changes in my patients who adopted the Mediterranean Diet with regular enjoyment of extra virgin olive oil. I have become a passionate ambassador for extra virgin olive oil and now travel to lecture to the public, health professionals, producers, importers and retailers to educate and advocate the extraordinary benefits of this most wonderful food.

Would you kindly share one of your favorite olive oil recipes with our members?

Extra virgin olive oil is so versatile and is so wonderful to cook with and also to “anoint” on any dish to add flavor and texture. It can be combined with any food and even pairs really well with deserts and ice cream.  I particularly love this simple recipe from the co-author of our book The Olive Oil Diet, Judy Ridgway which mixes fruit, cheese and extra virgin olive oil;

PECORINO SALAD WITH FRUIT AND OLIVES

This really is an all-the-year round salad.  Choose fruit in season and any kind of good green olives. Serve as a first course or as a good lunchtime snack with plenty of wholemeal bread.

Serves 4

3 tender lettuce hearts, washed and drained

1 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1 sweet apple. Cored and cut into dice

200g Pecorino cheese, crumbled or diced

100g green table olives

6cm cucumber, diced

2 small spring onions, finely chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Tear the lettuce leaves into pieces by hand and use to line a salad bowl.

Cut the grapefruit segments into small pieces and mix with the apples, cheese, olives, cucumber and spring onion.  Spoon this mixture onto the lettuce leaves.

Beat the lemon juice with olive oil to taste and pour over the salad.  Mix carefully and serve at once.

Dr Simon Poole is a Cambridge based medical doctor, author, broadcaster and commentator and an internationally renowned authority on the science and application of the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. He is an expert scientific consultant on extra virgin olive oil and a member of the Advisory Board of the Olive Wellness Institute, Australia and an advisor to the Yale Olive Institute, Yale University. His award-winning book, The Olive Oil Diet, takes a fresh and exciting look at diet, foods, cooking and health, on a gastronomic journey which tells the story of ingredients from around the Mediterranean with a focus on the delivery of health through olive oil. 

Sweet Potato and Tuna Breakfast Fritters

From Albert Bevia:
TIPS & TRICKS to make these FRITTERS: Once you shred your sweet potato, it is so IMPORTANT to squeeze out as much as possible of the water in the sweet potato. I added mine to a cheesecloth and twisted the water out over a sink. This is what gives these fritters that incredible crispy texture. Some of you might be thinking ¨geez….I don´t have 30 minutes to make breakfast!¨. SOLUTION: Make the fritter batter the night before and add it to the fridge. In the morning fry up your fritters and whala, breakfast is served in a jiffy. 

Sweet Potato and Tuna Breakfast Fritters

Watch Albert preparing this recipe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CnJAMzA0e4&t=3s

Ingredients

  • 1 sweet potato
  • 2 tins Spanish tuna in olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 onion
  • handful fresh chives
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 organic cage-free eggs
  • 1/2 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch black pepper
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Pell and wash one sweet potato, shred the sweet potato over a cutting board or shallow bowl, grab 3 cups of the shredded sweet potato and add to a cheesecloth, over a sink twist the cloth and try to remove as mush as possible of the water in the sweet potatoes, then add to a large bowl
  2. Drain 2 tins of tuna in olive oil and add to the bowl with the shredded sweet potatoes, also add 1 large shredded or minced clove of garlic, a 1/4 cup of diced onions, 2 tbsp freshly chopped chives and a 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour, in a seperate bowl whisk 2 eggs and then add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients, season everything with a 1/2 tsp of sweet smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
  3. Mix all the ingredients together until you form a paste, then grab about a 1/4 cup of the mixture and shape it into a ball, add to parchment paper, continue to do this until all the mixture is gone, you should get about 9 to 10 balls, then gently push each one down, you want a circular design that is 1/2 inch thick
  4. Heat a large frying pan with a medium heat, after 4 minutes add in a generous 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and start adding the fritters, cook in batches to not over-crowd the pan, after 2 1/2 to 3 minutes flip the fritters, after another 2 1/2 to 3 minutes start removing them from the pan and transfer to a dish with paper towels, continue to cook until they are all done
  5. To make the garlic yogurt sauce, add 1/2 cup Greek yogurt into a bowl, shred in 1 clove of garlic, squeeze in 1/2 tsp lemon juice, pour in 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and season with sea salt & black pepper, whisk together until well combined
  6. Add the garlic yogurt sauce to a plate and decorate the fritters around it, sprinkle with freshly chopped chives, enjoy!

Gianni Receives 2020 Miller’s Award

From: California Olive Oil Council

Subject: Congratulations

“We would like to offer you our congratulations following the release of the 2020 California Olive Oil Council’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Packaging Design Competition results! It is with great honor that we acknowledge that you are a recipient of this year’s Millers Award. Your expertise in the craft of milling has contributed to Marciano Estate being the recipient of the Best Blend Award.”

Gianni has worked tirelessly for 15 years perfecting the use of our unique vacuum mill to produce the highest quality olive oils. We are grateful to receive this award for 2020.

Other Awards for 2020:

The Mistral won a Gold at the LA County Fair and a Silver at the California State Fair while the Sierra won a Silver at both competitions.