LOCATION AND CLIMATE

 

As you might expect, olives grown in cooler areas where there is more moisture (rainfall and dew) exhibit leaner, more restrained characteristics.  This doesn’t however mean that great oil can now be made in Iceland – you need a minimum amount of sunshine to make your Extra Virgin Olive Oil taste remarkable, similarly to tomatoes or stone fruit.

Olive trees are sensitive to winter freeze (the Casaliva cultivar is more resistant to cold, hence being grown in the Garda region).  It is also easier to farm organically where the climate is more stable and less chemical sprays are required to keep the trees healthy.

OLIVE MATURITY

 

Here’s the thing – all olives are green.  When they become fully mature, they turn black.
Olive maturity at the time of harvest is a major factor in flavour and quality: olives harvested earlier (green olives) feature more bitter, grassy characteristics, with lower yields and with the highest anti-oxidant content.  The oil is a much more intense green colour and has a longer shelf-life.  In terms of production, milling can take longer with green olives (a longer malaxation - the action of slowly churning milled olives to release droplets of oil - is needed and can be more complicated) but the results are far superior!  Don’t choose olive oil from over mature fruit: it lacks all the potential goodness and flavour.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL IN GROVE AND MILL

 

People who care passionately about what they make and follow it personally every day have the capacity to create products with far higher quality, with integrity, and that taste of where they come from.  They are also able to do this by caring for the environment they inhabit.

FRANTOIO DI RIVA BOX

This box contains 6 bottles of extra virgin olive oil made exclusively by Frantoio di Riva from groves on the banks of lake Garda.

Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO green label x 3 bottles (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO organic white label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, 46°PARALLELO blue label x 1 bottle (50cl)
Frantoio di Riva, ULIVA Garda Trentino DOP x 1 bottle (50cl)

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May 18, 2023 In Recipes, Rice, Grains & Pulses, Spring, Vegetables

Asparagus and Wild Garlic Arancini stuffed with Taleggio

This is the perfect late spring lunch following a dinner of risotto – super fast to put together if the risotto has been in the fridge overnight. We serve it alongside a rocket salad.

INGREDIENTS

Makes around 7-8 Arancini

500g vegetable stock

250g arborio rice

50g parmesan

120g cooked asparagus, chopped

120g wild garlic pesto – see below

180g taleggio

250g breadcrumbs – which I usually run a pinch of dried oregano through

150g 00 flour

300g water

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

 

Wild garlic pesto

150g wild garlic leaves

50g parmesan

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ lemon zest and its juice

50g pine nuts

150ml extra virgin olive oil – we use Extremum from Paolo Cassini, monocultivar Taggiasca

Maldon salt

METHOD

Begin by making the wild garlic pesto. Blend all of the ingredients together until you have a smooth paste. Add more olive oil as needed.

 

Meanwhile make the rice using the typical risotto method adding stock to your rice for around 17 minutes. When almost cooked, add the parmesan, asparagus, burrata and pesto to the rice.

 

Turn your rice out on to a tray and cool. Then chill for about 15 minutes.

 

Once cool, form the rice balls (you should be able to make 6) and then place 30g taleggio at the heart of each ball. Set aside to chill for around 20 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, create a batter using the flour and water. Then roll the chilled rice balls through the batter and then through the breadcrumbs.

 

Finally, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a deep frying pan and fry your arancini until golden brown. They should be piping hot in the middle.