Comments on: We’re Not Quite Done With The Olives Yet http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/ I got sole Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:37:41 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Julia Conway http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8724 Julia Conway Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:20:12 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8724 I'd like to echo the comments about the artisanal olive oil producers in CA. Yes, we have our share of "big boys" with oils that end up in Trader Joes's, but many of us are actually small producers that use old-world and sustainable methods, selling oil that is made from our own olives. Our company, Stella Cadente, is one of the older producers, and when we were founded, there were less than two dozen CA specialty oil producers, now there are over 350. We certify through the COOC (California Olive Oil Council) tasting panel, as well as with independent lab analysis to IOOC standards. We choose not to vertify USDA Organic as it is virtually impossible to pass this cost on to our consumers. As was noted earlier, knowing your producer is the best method to assure quality, be it vegetables, meats, dairy or olive oil. As a local Slow Food USA chapter leader and localization advocate, I recommend sourcing as locally as possible, while using the internet to search out true artisans for products not available in your local area. I would recommend sites such as Foodzie.com and American Feast.com. Their foragers seek out artisan producers and tell the story as well as selling the products. Thanks for raising these important issues for the consumer! Julia Conway Partner, Stella Cadente Olive Oil www.stellacadente.com I’d like to echo the comments about the artisanal olive oil producers in CA. Yes, we have our share of “big boys” with oils that end up in Trader Joes’s, but many of us are actually small producers that use old-world and sustainable methods, selling oil that is made from our own olives. Our company, Stella Cadente, is one of the older producers, and when we were founded, there were less than two dozen CA specialty oil producers, now there are over 350. We certify through the COOC (California Olive Oil Council) tasting panel, as well as with independent lab analysis to IOOC standards. We choose not to vertify USDA Organic as it is virtually impossible to pass this cost on to our consumers.

As was noted earlier, knowing your producer is the best method to assure quality, be it vegetables, meats, dairy or olive oil. As a local Slow Food USA chapter leader and localization advocate, I recommend sourcing as locally as possible, while using the internet to search out true artisans for products not available in your local area. I would recommend sites such as Foodzie.com and American Feast.com. Their foragers seek out artisan producers and tell the story as well as selling the products.

Thanks for raising these important issues for the consumer!

Julia Conway
Partner, Stella Cadente Olive Oil
http://www.stellacadente.com

]]> By: Patsy Scott http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8705 Patsy Scott Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:32:50 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8705 Ohh, I have to look into this. But the whole thing sounds like a commercial or marketing battle. In Spain things are pretty strict regarding olive oil labeling, production and processing and I very much doubt you'd get a bottle of Aceite extra virgen that hasn't been processed the way it should be. Italy has been known to bottle Spanish olive oil and trying to pass it on as its own - there was a lot of noise about this because of European subsidies to olive growers. Apparently Italy was lying as to the number of olive groves, etc. Something similar happens with wine around here. When the grape harvest isn't good enough in France, they mix their product with Spanish wine and vice versa. And it's still sold as French wine or Spanish or Italian or whatever. So I guess there's a lot of monkey business going on. Five star restaurants here now bring out an "olive oil tray" where you can try, savor and make your pick. I'd go for Spanish extra virgen olive oil all the way. Ohh, I have to look into this. But the whole thing sounds like a commercial or marketing battle.
In Spain things are pretty strict regarding olive oil labeling, production and processing and I very much doubt you’d get a bottle of Aceite extra virgen that hasn’t been processed the way it should be.
Italy has been known to bottle Spanish olive oil and trying to pass it on as its own – there was a lot of noise about this because of European subsidies to olive growers. Apparently Italy was lying as to the number of olive groves, etc.
Something similar happens with wine around here. When the grape harvest isn’t good enough in France, they mix their product with Spanish wine and vice versa. And it’s still sold as French wine or Spanish or Italian or whatever.
So I guess there’s a lot of monkey business going on.
Five star restaurants here now bring out an “olive oil tray” where you can try, savor and make your pick.
I’d go for Spanish extra virgen olive oil all the way.

]]> By: Lola http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8703 Lola Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:38:50 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8703 after my rant, I took a look at the bottle I purchased and it's okay. I cooked for Dad & Brenda, my brother and my step siblings (as is my usual Tuesday) and it was very good. I'm hoping Nancy's is over the top delicious! I'll let you know in a post. Tonight we used olive oil for squash from a friend's garden sliced, sparingly rubbed with olive oil, then baked flat with kosher salt, pepper, parmisan on top. 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so. I made a mountain of it and it was so good nothing was left. Also grape tomatoes cut in half tossed with olive oil, chives, bleu cheese, lemon, salt and pepper on boston lettuce. and the ye olde red potatoes sliced in chunks tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh rosemary. mmmmmhhh We also had italian black olives. We might be olived out, if that were possible...but it's not. after my rant, I took a look at the bottle I purchased and it’s okay. I cooked for Dad & Brenda, my brother and my step siblings (as is my usual Tuesday) and it was very good. I’m hoping Nancy’s is over the top delicious! I’ll let you know in a post. Tonight we used olive oil for

squash from a friend’s garden sliced, sparingly rubbed with olive oil, then baked flat with kosher salt, pepper, parmisan on top. 350 degrees for 30 minutes or so. I made a mountain of it and it was so good nothing was left.

Also grape tomatoes cut in half tossed with olive oil, chives, bleu cheese, lemon, salt and pepper on boston lettuce.

and the ye olde red potatoes sliced in chunks tossed with olive oil, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and fresh rosemary. mmmmmhhh

We also had italian black olives.

We might be olived out, if that were possible…but it’s not.

]]> By: Nancy http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8702 Nancy Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:26:13 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8702 Thank you for being so kind and helping us to educate the public that when it comes to Extra Virgin Olive Oil it is truly "buyer beware". We do not sell our product in stores only in our tasting rooms or from our website as we like to ensure the quality of the product. Once you start putting it in the hands of wholesalers you lose control of shelf life etc. Our goal is for every bottle purchased to always be the current harvest. If we have any oil left at the end of a season we use it in our farm equipment as bio diesel. If you are ever plan on being in the Temecula area please let me know. I will give you a tour of our grove. Kind regards, Nancy Curry- Temecula Olive Oil Company Thank you for being so kind and helping us to educate the public that when it comes to Extra Virgin Olive Oil it is truly “buyer beware”. We do not sell our product in stores only in our tasting rooms or from our website as we like to ensure the quality of the product. Once you start putting it in the hands of wholesalers you lose control of shelf life etc. Our goal is for every bottle purchased to always be the current harvest. If we have any oil left at the end of a season we use it in our farm equipment as bio diesel.
If you are ever plan on being in the Temecula area please let me know. I will give you a tour of our grove.
Kind regards,
Nancy Curry- Temecula Olive Oil Company

]]> By: XUP http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8701 XUP Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:18:08 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8701 Jazz - I know. I'm learning a hell of a lot, too. I seem to have a blog example for almost every conversation these days. I wonder if people are tired of me saying, "Hey, I blogged about that a while ago...did you know..." Alison - For grocery store brand, Colavita seems pretty good. It has a nice flavour and the label says it's from 100% Italian olives and it has a "Certified Authentic" thing on the label and it's reasonably priced. And according to the New Yorker article, Leonardo Colavita is the president of ASSITOL, the olive-oil trade association and owner of the Colavita company. Of course it could still be mixed with motor oil or something. How do we know? Nancy's olive oil seems reasonably priced, too -- though I don't know what it comes to after shipping. I'm going to check around and see if anyone has it on the shelf. Grace in the Kitchen on Bank Street has an amazing collection of oils, for instance -- but they're not cheap. Geewits - Didn't your olive oil pass the Nancy test? Maybe when it runs out you can try another kind just to see? Maybe you can try Nancy's? They must sell that in your neck of the woods. Mmmm olive spread. I wonder if they bastardize olives, too? Susan - I know, eh? That was very cool of her. We consume so much olive oil it would be nice to know we're getting the good stuff. Like I mentioned before, I usually have a bottle around of premium oil and another bottle of everyday olive oil. I think I've chosen a good one (see my comment to Alison). I'm very suspicious of that President's Choice olive oil, though. It looks fancy, but doesn't taste like much. Elizabeth - OH, lucky, lucky you! I would love to own olive trees. What do you do with the fruit now? Lola - So the bottle you splurged on didn't meet the standards outlined by Nancy? And ya, it would certainly be nice if people would just be honest and forthright in their business dealings instead of always trying to make a fast buck at all costs. But I'm so glad we got some expert input on this particular product. I feel much more confident buying olive oil now. Please let me know what you think of Nancy's oil when you get a chance to taste it -- do a review, on your blog, okay? I'll link to it here, too. Jazz – I know. I’m learning a hell of a lot, too. I seem to have a blog example for almost every conversation these days. I wonder if people are tired of me saying, “Hey, I blogged about that a while ago…did you know…”

Alison – For grocery store brand, Colavita seems pretty good. It has a nice flavour and the label says it’s from 100% Italian olives and it has a “Certified Authentic” thing on the label and it’s reasonably priced. And according to the New Yorker article, Leonardo Colavita is the president of ASSITOL, the olive-oil trade association and owner of the Colavita company. Of course it could still be mixed with motor oil or something. How do we know? Nancy’s olive oil seems reasonably priced, too — though I don’t know what it comes to after shipping. I’m going to check around and see if anyone has it on the shelf. Grace in the Kitchen on Bank Street has an amazing collection of oils, for instance — but they’re not cheap.

Geewits – Didn’t your olive oil pass the Nancy test? Maybe when it runs out you can try another kind just to see? Maybe you can try Nancy’s? They must sell that in your neck of the woods. Mmmm olive spread. I wonder if they bastardize olives, too?

Susan – I know, eh? That was very cool of her. We consume so much olive oil it would be nice to know we’re getting the good stuff. Like I mentioned before, I usually have a bottle around of premium oil and another bottle of everyday olive oil. I think I’ve chosen a good one (see my comment to Alison). I’m very suspicious of that President’s Choice olive oil, though. It looks fancy, but doesn’t taste like much.

Elizabeth – OH, lucky, lucky you! I would love to own olive trees. What do you do with the fruit now?

Lola – So the bottle you splurged on didn’t meet the standards outlined by Nancy? And ya, it would certainly be nice if people would just be honest and forthright in their business dealings instead of always trying to make a fast buck at all costs. But I’m so glad we got some expert input on this particular product. I feel much more confident buying olive oil now. Please let me know what you think of Nancy’s oil when you get a chance to taste it — do a review, on your blog, okay? I’ll link to it here, too.

]]> By: Lola http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8698 Lola Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:46:45 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8698 I just returned from the store where I splurged on olive oil for tonight's supper based on the last post. Argh! Since we're so gullible, I've already jumped on the train and ordered a bottle of Nancy's Olive Oil. I'm taking the one I purchased today back and will use my old tasty stuff until the new one gets here. Is it whacko of me to ask that growers and producers of anything simply tell us the truth about their product to begin with? There's no telling what poisons I'm brewing in my body. [end rant} I just returned from the store where I splurged on olive oil for tonight’s supper based on the last post. Argh! Since we’re so gullible, I’ve already jumped on the train and ordered a bottle of Nancy’s Olive Oil. I’m taking the one I purchased today back and will use my old tasty stuff until the new one gets here. Is it whacko of me to ask that growers and producers of anything simply tell us the truth about their product to begin with? There’s no telling what poisons I’m brewing in my body. [end rant}

]]> By: Elizabeth http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8696 Elizabeth Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:26:27 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8696 Good News! You may order online at http://www.temeculaoliveoil.com/shop/ I have a few olive trees, and maybe when I retire, I can cure the olives, or make oil. Until then, I'll buy the good stuff! Good News! You may order online at

http://www.temeculaoliveoil.com/shop/

I have a few olive trees, and maybe when I retire, I can cure the olives, or make oil.

Until then, I’ll buy the good stuff!

]]> By: Susan http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8695 Susan Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:23:00 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8695 Amazing that she took the time to educate you so thoroughly. Thanks for sharing her comments; they were interesting and informative. I'll be a little more wary about buying my olive oil from now on. Amazing that she took the time to educate you so thoroughly. Thanks for sharing her comments; they were interesting and informative. I’ll be a little more wary about buying my olive oil from now on.

]]> By: geewits http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8694 geewits Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:53:51 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8694 I always learn stuff over here. I ran in there to read my olive oil bottle. I decided to console myself with the fact that I like the way it tastes. And thanks to your previous post on olives, I remembered them the next time I went to the store and had a delicious olive salad with dinner last night and am going to make an olive spread to have for lunch today. I should go put that together. Yummmmmm. I always learn stuff over here. I ran in there to read my olive oil bottle. I decided to console myself with the fact that I like the way it tastes. And thanks to your previous post on olives, I remembered them the next time I went to the store and had a delicious olive salad with dinner last night and am going to make an olive spread to have for lunch today. I should go put that together. Yummmmmm.

]]> By: alison http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/2009/06/23/were-not-quite-done-with-the-olives-yet/#comment-8693 alison Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:37:47 +0000 http://exurbanpedestrian.wordpress.com/?p=3145#comment-8693 Hmmmm, now I just want to know which kind to buy here in the regular grocery store that is good quality and not ruinously expensive. Do you know of any brands? Good luck tonight at Blog Out Loud! I'll be thinking of you as I sit swatting mosquitoes at Leah's soccer practice and as I vacuum the evil swamp/swimming pool. I wish I could be there. Will there be a podcast available of the event? Hmmmm, now I just want to know which kind to buy here in the regular grocery store that is good quality and not ruinously expensive. Do you know of any brands?

Good luck tonight at Blog Out Loud! I’ll be thinking of you as I sit swatting mosquitoes at Leah’s soccer practice and as I vacuum the evil swamp/swimming pool. I wish I could be there. Will there be a podcast available of the event?

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