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)

March 22, 2023 In Recipes, Spring
SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN | WINTER

OLIVE OIL GRANOLA

This Granola is a little different and comes from the timeless Nigella Lawson. We absolutely love it because it’s not quite as sweet – it has no dried fruit and it’s a million miles away from the shop bought alternatives.

You can then add fresh fruit when serving, as well as kefir or yoghurt and to us, that’s a superior breakfast.

 

Ingredients

Makes enough to fill a 1.5lt jar

300g     Rolled Oats

2tsp      Ground Ginger

2tsp      Ground Cinnamon

1 tsp     Maldon Salt

100g     Almonds with skins

75g       Sunflower seeds

75g       Pumpkin seeds

50g       Brown Flaxseed

50g       Flaked Almonds

25g       Sesame seeds

125ml   Extra Virgin Olive Oil

125ml   Maple syrup

 

Method

Preheat oven to 150C/300F and line a large baking sheet (46 x 34 x 1.5cm) with baking parchment.

Combine the oats, spices and salt in a bowl and then add the nuts and seeds.

In a measuring jug, combine the olive oil and maple syrup and then stir through the dry mix to coat. Tip this all on to the baking sheet and shake out to level it out.

Gently bake for 30 minutes and then take out and turn it with a spatula to toast the other side. Put back in the oven for a further 30 minutes. Rest on a wire rack until cold.