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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September 17, 2022 In Autumn, Baking, Recipes

Lemon, Rosemary & Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cake

This cake is a favourite of ours as the summer fades and the oils are at their softest. We use Sicilian lemons typically which really make a difference to the flavour.

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs

125g caster sugar

Zest of 2 lemons (to give you an equivalent of around 3tbsp)

150g plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

90g ground almonds

A pinch of salt

200ml extra virgin olive oil, we use Il Classico from De Carlo in Puglia, which is the perfect butter substitute

 

FOR THE SYRUP

A few sprigs of rosemary

Juice of 2 lemons

100g caster sugar

60g water

METHOD

Line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper and brush the base and sides with a little oil.

 

Put all of the cake ingredients in to a bowl and mix until you have a smooth, batter-like consistency. Pour in to the tin and bake at 180C for 30 minutes until the top is golden.

 

While baking, you can prepare the syrup by tipping all of the ingredients in to a small saucepan and bringing up to the boil. Turn down and simmer gently for around 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and allow the rosemary to infuse.

 

While the cake is still warm, but still in its tin, make holes with a skewer all over the top and pour over the syrup. Leave to cool in its tin to allow the syrup to absorb and then turn out and serve.