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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Pappa al Pomodoro
July 22, 2020 In Antipasti, Recipes, Summer, Vegetables

Pappa al Pomodoro

Pappa al Pomodoro is quintessential tuscan peasant food that you can find on every table during the warm summer months.  It makes a for a perfect fresh and flavoursome starter.

Ingredients for 4 people
1 kg very ripe tomatoes
1 medium white onion, chopped thinly
2 gloves of garlic, thinly sliced
200 grams stale bread (crusts cut off), shredded into small cubes
Fresh ricotta cheese
EVOO
Blanche the tomatoes in boiling water for 15 seconds, then transfer to a bowl with cold water. Peel the skins away, cut into quarters, then mouli them if you have one, or alternatively press the tomatoes through a fine sieve.
Gently heat the olive oil and add the garlic and onions, cooking until soft and translucent. Always keep the heat low, so not to burn the onions or the garlic. Add the tomato juice and pulp, salt and pepper and cook on a gentle heat for about 30 minutes.  Take off the heat and add the bread, mashing it as much as you can until fully incorporated. Set aside for 30 minutes, season to taste and serve with a dollop of fresh ricotta and some basil leaves and a generous drizzle of EVOO.
The oil we use: An aromatic oil such as Primo Organic from Frantoi Cutrera works perfectly with Pappa con Pomodoro.