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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November 1, 2023 In Autumn, Recipes, Rice, Grains & Pulses

Castelluccio lentil and aubergine stew

This recipe is a twist on Ottolenghi’s creation combining the simple ingredients of aubergines and lentils in a unique way. It is perfect for enjoying those last aubergines of the season. You enjoy it as a standalone supper or serve it with some toasted sourdough bruschetta for a heartier meal.

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for serving – we used Il Sincero from Marco Viola, monocultivar Moraiolo, full of decisive pepperiness.
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 medium red onion, peeled and finely diced
4 tsp oregano leaves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 small aubergines (about 420g in total), cut into chunks
200g cherry tomatoes
180g castelluccio lentils – you can replace with puy lentils if you can’t find castelluccio
500ml vegetable stock
80ml dry white wine
100g creme fraiche
1 tsp urfa chilli flakes (or ½ tsp regular chilli flakes)

METHOD

Heat half the oil in a large, high-sided pan on a medium flame. Add the garlic, onion, half the oregano and a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and fry for around 5 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden, then tip into a small bowl.

Put the aubergines and cherry tomatoes in a separate bowl and season with a quarter-teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper. On a medium-high flame, heat the two remaining tablespoons of oil in the same pan (don’t bother wiping it clean) and, once it’s very hot, fry the aubergines and tomatoes for 10 minutes, turning them often, until the aubergine is soft and golden-brown and the tomatoes are beginning to blacken.

Return the garlic and onion mixture to the pan, then add the lentils, stock, wine, half a litre of cold water and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to medium and leave to simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the lentils are soft but still retain a bite (after this time, there will still be some liquid at the bottom of the pan, but that’s fine).

Serve the stew warm topped with a spoonful of creme fraiche, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a sprinkling of the urfa chilli and the remaining chopped oregano leaves.