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 9, 2023 In Recipes, Salads

Green Grain Goodness Bowl

An excellent dressing can make all the difference to ancient grains, perking up the base notes with a bold, herb-centric kick.  Super easy to put together, brilliantly nutritious and fulfilling, this makes for a wonderful lunch to share with friends or family.

INGREDIENTS

350g Broccolini stems

4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, we love using Coratina for this with its brilliant peppery spice and elegant consistency. Tenuta Arcamone from Frantoio De Carlo is a wonderful choice.

2 tsp flaked sea salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 large eggs

200g sugar snap peas

200ml      natural organic yoghurt

2 cloves of garlic, grated

½ green chilli

2 tbsp lemon juice

60g mixed finely chopped herbs (parsley, marjoram, tarragon, coriander, mint)

200g cooked farro (you could substitute with brown rice or quinoa)

½ diced cucumber

40g tender leaves (mixed lettuce, radicchio, kale all work well)

2 ripe avocados sliced

6 breakfast radishes, finely sliced

30g toasted pumpkin seeds

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Toss the broccolini with 2tbsp extra virgin olive oil and season well. Place on a lined baking sheet and roast until tender and slightly charred (takes around 15 minutes)

Meanwhile, bring a small pot of water to the boil, add the eggs and cook for 7 minutes. Then transfer to a bowl of iced water to stop them cooking. Once cool enough, peel.

Add the sugar snaps to boiling water and cook for just 1-2 minutes until bright green and retaining a bite. Transfer to a bowl of iced water to refresh.

If you need to toast the pumpkin seeds, place in a small pan on a low heat and watch carefully – should take just a couple of minutes.

Now for the dressing; add the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, herbs, chilli, salt and pepper along with 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil to a small herb blender/food processor.

Toss the grains in half of the dressing to fully coat and separately, toss the broccoli, sugar snaps, cucumbers and tender leaves in extra virgin olive oil along with some seasoning.  Then begin to plate up, laying out the different vegetables in 4 bowls alongside the grains. Top with the avocado slices, radishes and pumpkin seeds and a few leaves of herbs. Slice the eggs in half and add to the bowls. Add a final flurry of flaked salt, black pepper and a swirl of olive oil. Serve with the remaining dressing alongside for anyone wishing to add more.