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)

Recipe Frantoi.org Frittata
August 29, 2016 In Recipes, Summer
SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN | WINTER

Frittata di Fiori di Zucchina

Summer Recipes

Zucchini flowers are a gem of an ingredient, with a lovely subtle taste and beautiful colour. This is a simple dish, delicate and looks beautiful on a summer table. Zucchini flowers have a short shelf life and aren’t always easy to find but when you do….

Ingredients

For 4 people

4 eggs (preferably organic, certainly free range)

6 Zucchini flowers

Method

Coat a frying pan with some olive oil and put on a medium to low heat.

Beat 4 eggs together with a pinch of salt, and add to a frying pan.

Wash and chop your zucchini flowers discarding the harder stem.

Once the bottom of your eggs are settling (you can test it by using a knife or a fish-slice and gentling lifting the sides of the frittata) sprinkle the top with the chopped zucchini flowers.

Cook for about 20 seconds and then put the pan under the grill for about 2 minute, until the top has just set.

Transfer to a plate paying attention not to break or fold it (it’s very delicate), sprinkle a little salt and pepper and a little bit of olive oil on top. Take immediately to the table for everyone to comment how beautiful it looks.