There’s New Olive Oil in Town! Branch & Vine

 Branch & Vine, Cooking & Eating, Georgia, Newnan, Olive Oil Shops  Comments Off
May 032012
 
Jasmine and Tracey at the Branch & Vine

I have been positively olive green with envy as gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bars and shops open their doors around the US. Why? Because none of them were in or near Atlanta. Atlanta is one of the biggest, most densely-populated, food-conscious metropolitan areas in the United States. What’s wrong, I thought?

Do folks think we don’t like excellent quality extra virgin olive oil? We do. Do they think we don’t use olive oil? We do. Do they think we’re still feeling a bit tender about the War of Northern Aggression? Well…, despite all that, we do love olive oil and even traded in our Confederate money for some US coin, and can afford to buy it too. Atlanta is sitting smack-dab in the middle of the most-coveted, most-untapped world olive oil market, the east coast of the US. I have been mystified, until now…

There’s a new extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar tasting bar and gourmet food shop in metro Atlanta. It’s the Branch & Vine in Newnan, Georgia. This discovery, thanks to my friend, Pam N., called for a field trip. So last Tuesday, I gassed up the ole Caddy and headed down I-85 toward Alabama.

Pam had already been to Branch & Vine the weekend before and was excited to show me around. She didn’t need to because as soon as we entered a lovely, young woman named Jasmine greeted us. In true Southern form Pam, Jasmine, and I started all talking at once and with a high level of excitement. One of the owners, Tracey Jenkins, was there, helping another customer with her purchase. As soon as she was done she came over and joined the fun.

Jasmine and Tracey explained all about the different extra virgin olive oils Branch & Vine had to offer, each prettily sitting in it’s own steel container know as a fusti (I sense another Olive Crazy article in the future all about fustis). We discussed the array of flavored and infused oils. I told them about my trip to Oliviers & Co., my flavored oils taste test, and my article about flavored vs. infused oils.

I asked Tracey who her supplier was and then held my breath. “Veronica Foods,” she said. “Yay, the Bradleys,” I said, relieved and breathing again. I now knew I could purchase the oils I wanted for my next taste-test article and promptly purchased one each of all the infused extra virgins.

My purchases made and a list of future Olive Crazy article topics stored in my head, Pam and I tackled the balsamic vinegars. Oh my goodness! I was in heaven. I tried the Chocolate vinegar, the Espresso vinegar, the Grapefruit vinegar, and many more. Then Tracey brought out a tray of vanilla ice cream and suggested we try either a vinegar or olive oil on it. I chose Red Apple vinegar. Wow! Thanks Tracey.

It was time to move on. I promised Tracey I would email the links to the articles I would write. Pam and I left contact information, and much satisfied with our visit, went to dinner.

If you are in the Atlanta area either call the store at 770-253-3008 for directions or follow this handy Olive Crazy-enhanced map of it’s location. The Branch & Vine is on a zip code line that messes up the ability to find it using mapping programs. Bummer.

May the sun shine through your branches.

www.olivecrazy.com

What Is Bergamot?

 Cooking & Eating, Oliviers & Co., Tasting  Comments Off
Apr 292012
 
Bergamot

While I was writing my last article I kept wondering about the bergamot-flavored olive oil I bought from Oliviers & Co. The scent and taste of bergamot is not foreign to me. I have smelled it in some perfumes and it is in Earl Grey tea, which I love.

I have wondered about bergamot before but quickly forgot about it. This time, though, it was in my face for a few hours. First, when I was examining each tin of olive oil before I staged them for their iPhone photo shoot. On the bergamot-flavored tin was a circular yellow thing. Was it a fruit? a nut? a ? I couldn’t tell.

Later I cropped the photo of the tins into separate photos of each tin, just in case I needed them. I found myself staring for quite a while at the circular yellow thing. What the heck is that?

When I was writing the article I got to the point of searching the Oliviers site for their recommended uses for the bergamot-flavored olive oil – nothing. That was odd. I bought the tin at a US store.

When the US Oliviers website search didn’t come up with anything, I went to the French Oliviers site and there it was. I assume bergamot isn’t a popular flavor in the US, mainly because we don’t know what it is.

Finally, after the tasting and writing were done I opened another tab in Google Chrome and searched. Here is the definition from the Google dictionary:

  1. An oily substance extracted from the rind of the fruit of a dwarf variety of the Seville orange tree. It is used in cosmetics and as flavoring in tea.
  2. The tree that bears this fruit.
  3. An aromatic North American herb of the mint family, grown for its bright flowers and traditionally used in American Indian medicine.

Here is the description from Wikipedia:

“Citrus bergamia, the Bergamot orange, is a fragrant fruit the size of an orange, with a yellow colour similar to a lemon. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars matched the bergamot as a likely hybrid of Citrus limetta and Citrus aurantium. Citrus bergamot is a native hybrid of and commercially grown in Calabria, southern Italy, where more than 80% are found. It is also grown in southern France and in Côte d’Ivoire for the essential oil. The fruit is not grown for juice consumption.”

I also found out from clicking on the little speaker links that I’ve been pronouncing the word wrong. I have been saying ber-ga-mow and it is ber-ga-mott. Olive Crazy stands corrected.

Now we know – ber-ga-mowwwwwwwww (one last mispronunciation for old times sake).

May the sun shine through your branches.

www.olivecrazy.com

Oliviers & Co. Flavored Olive Oils Get Tasted

 Cooking & Eating, Oliviers & Co., Taste Test, Tasting  Comments Off
Apr 262012
 
Oliviers & Co. Flavored Olive Oils

Now it’s time to try each of the flavored extra virgin olive oils I purchased from the Boston location of Oliviers & Co. My intention is to give you an idea of how I might use each in cooking everyday dishes. I will also let you know what the folks at Oliviers suggest. I’m going to taste and give my suggestions before I read their’s. Let’s see how I do.

1. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et au Citron (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Lemon)

Olive Crazy – Perfect for baking bready-textured cakes and cookies that aren’t very sweet. Pour some of this olive oil in chili paste (like my favorite, harissa) and eat it with a fresh baguette.

Oliviers & Co. – Use in salad dressing, marinades, grilled fish, pasta, fresh goat cheese, fruit salad, baking, or pour on vanilla ice cream.

2. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et au Basilic (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Basil)

Olive Crazy – I can imagine this oil poured over freshly cooked, al dente pasta and tossed with sun dried tomatoes, pecans, and big chunks of roasted garlic.

Oliviers & Co. – Pour over a slice of green apple. Use in fruit salads, on tomatoes, cheese, pasta, pizza, chicken, and vegetables.

3. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et a la Bergamote (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Bergamot)

Olive Crazy – Massage a piece of beef with the bergamot-flavored oil and peppercorns, wrap in plastic, let marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes, and grill.

Oliviers & Co. –  Use with grated carrots, in celery remoulade, pasta salad, leeks, poultry, green vegetables, and fruit salad.

4. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et a la Mandarine (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Mandarin)

Olive Crazy – When I tasted this oil, I imagined cupcakes with orange marmalade centers, soft cheese frosting, and a mandarin slice on top.

Oliviers & Co. - Great on roasted vegetables, drizzled over fruit salads, and even in chocolate brownies or cakes.

5. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et a la Menthe (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Mint)

Olive Crazy – I was apprehensive about tasting this oil. I couldn’t imagine how I might use it until I tasted it. The verdict – chicken salad. Make a mayonnaise with the mint olive oil, mix it with chilled chicken breast, add some chopped mint leaves, water chestnuts for crunch, salt and pepper. Place some chicken salad on a lettuce leaf, roll it up and eat it.

Oliviers & Co. - Drizzle over tabouleh, couscous, chickpea salad, lamb dishes, tomato and feta pasta salad. Also delicious for desserts. Drizzle over pineapple and mango, even in brownie mix.

6. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et au Citron presse Vert (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Green Lemon)

Olive Crazy – Pour over dark bread add sliced, ripe tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Oliviers & Co. - Delicious drizzled over salads, on fish, pasta, vegetables, strawberries, and sorbet.

7. Huile d’Olive Vierge Extra et au Piment (Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Chili Pepper)

Olive Crazy – I saved this oil for last. I knew it would ruin my ability to taste any of the other oils and boy would it have. This is some powerful stuff. I love spicy foods and would use this oil on anything. But, the first food that popped in my mind was eggs, fried, scrambled, poached, or however you eat them. Just drizzle this oil on your eggs and enjoy.

Oliviers & Co. - Try on steak, burgers, fried potatoes, pasta, pizza, and omelets.

May the sun shine through your branches.

www.olivecrazy.com

Olive Crazy Gets Sleuthy and Discovers Some Suspicious Science

 EFSA, Health & Beauty, Research  2 Responses »
Apr 162012
 

“Tomatoes and Olive Oil May Reduce Impotence” trumpeted an article in the Olive Oil Times. The title was an eye-catcher – begging to be read. So I did.

When I was done I checked the source link at the bottom of the page. The link took me to a website for a product called Aceiterol. What’s this, I thought. I know Aceiterol was mentioned in the article, but I was actually expecting to find a link to the touted research – nope.

The Aceiterol page was graced with pictures of little blister packs of organic extra virgin olive oil and tomato extract. The packs reminded me of the little containers of jellies, jams, marmalades, and fruit butters found at breakfast places around the country. I imagined spreading Aceiterol on toast. It might taste okay, I conjectured.

I was intrigued by the particularly ugly website hawking strange little tubs of what looked like runny ketchup. I continued to look for the impotence relief research. I clicked around from page to page waiting for the translator to complete its task before I could read the contents. My Spanish is limited to written instructions not to spit on the bus floor and to fasten my seat belt while in flight and people yelling “venga” (pronounced benga) at me. The last bit of Spanish is from the playgrounds of Saint Juliana’s elementary school in West Palm Beach, Florida. Many of my friends were Cuban refugees and “benga” was a common command as we ran in herds around the playground.

I found information about inflammation, cancer, cardiovascular disease, the Mediterranean Diet, and lots of other health claims. That’s a lot of claiming for a condiment, I thought.

Finally I hit upon the page with the news articles. There was a picture of a young, very young, couple looking lovingly into each other’s eyes. Just above their heads was this: “A Spanish study reveals that this powerful antioxidant blend of olive oil improves erectile dysfunction in men. Previous studies demonstrated the benefits of these substances against prostate cancer.” I had arrived.

I eagerly looked for the research and this is what I found.

  • Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant.
  • It gives better blood circulation.
  • You can buy it in a pharmacy.
  • It’s not Viagra but it kind of does the same thing.
  • Aceiterol received an award in the condiment category at the 2012 INFARMA Fair.

None of those statements, singly or collectively, make much sense. It appeared to me that in addition to using suspicious science there was some additional truth-stretching going on.

There was absolutely no link to a research study, just a mention that there was a privately-financed research study resulting in erections. Aren’t there some European Union restrictions now with regard to health claims? My research says – yes. The only olive oil health claims that are permitted by EU member countries are those related to human blood cholesterol concentrations.

Here is all that I could glean about the actual study. Some men in Spain with mild erectile dysfunction who were over 50 years of age ingested Aceiterol for three months. At the end of three months they had mild improvement and success was declared.

I have some ideas about how the study was conducted, but I am trying to keep it clean.

May the sun shine through your branches (stiff or not).

www.olivecrazy.com

My Opinion: There’s a ‘Fly’ in the Proposed US Olive Oil Marketing Order

 Farming & Gardening, Marketing, My Opinion, Olive Oil Standards, Olives and Olive Oil in General  4 Responses »
Apr 132012
 

This past Wednesday, Adam Englehardt of California Olive Ranch gave a two-part presentation to members of the Georgia Olive Growers Association, some Florida growers, USDA employees, Congressional staffers, and other involved parties. The first part of the presentation was data to support the proposed marketing order and the second part was a section by section look at the order.

No, I’m not going to divulge any aspects of the actual marketing order. I am honor-bound not to do so and while that doesn’t mean much to some folks, it does to me.

What I am going to do is identify what I have determined is a fly in the ointment of the proposed US olive oil marketing order. The ‘fly’ is small and annoying right now but after feasting on distrust and resulting ill-will has the potential of tanking the marketing order. It makes me wonder - naivete or plan?

Prior to the presentation and meeting on Wednesday I had no opinion about the order. After reading the proposed marketing order and after considering the options and opportunities it presents for the United States olive industry I support the concept. The language is still rough and some crucial pieces are missing.

During Adam’s first presentation, I began to hear the fly. Throughout it the buzzing got louder and finally subsided when he launched into the marketing order section review. Then all of a sudden the buzzing started again and the fly began to furiously circle the room.

So Olive Crazy what does the fly represent? The fly is the niggle in the back of your brain. It is the hair standing up on your arms or the back of your neck. It is the bad omen. It is the sign of danger.

I have had and in some cases still enjoy successful careers in the military, politics, and business. Not only do I make sure I am well-educated in the areas in which I operate; can implement what I know at strategic and tactical levels; but I have great instincts and I trust them. The fly in this article is representing my instinct that some things aren’t adding up and these things, unless resolved now, will cause trouble.

Here are a few of those things:

  1. Spain is the largest exporter of olive oil in the world (not Italy – they’ve got a bottling scheme going on which makes people think they are).
  2. Spain is a charter member of the International Olive Council (IOC) which is controlled by olive oil mega corporations who have been identified as exporters of fake olive oil (seed oils masquerading as olive oil) and/or low-grade olive oil masquerading as extra virgin olive oil.
  3. Spanish investors started California Olive Ranch in the 1990s and still hold the reins.
  4. The California Olive Ranch is carrying the ball for the marketing order.
  5. The California Olive Ranch, with limited input, has created a national olive oil trade association, hired a lobbyist at the federal level, and have already commenced lobbying even though there is no record of lobbyist registration.
  6. A representative from Agromillora, Spain’s largest olive grower, was sitting in the room with us during Adam’s presentation.
  7. Adam Englehardt, who I genuinely like, claims to be politically naive, yet is making politically-sensitive decisions for an entire industry.

There are more items I could add to this list, my intention is not to sabotage the olive oil marketing order process but to alert United States olive oil stakeholders of pending problems, which can be fixed. The marketing order process is 10% business and 90% political. The 90% includes governmental, business, and personality driven politics. Strategic errors are being made which will destroy the best efforts of American olive growers and olive oil producers to enter, in any meaningful way, the global olive oil business, much less combat a cracking, but still powerful, Europe-based world olive oil trade.

If the market order process isn’t done properly the consumers of the world’s largest potential olive oil market, the east coast of the United States, will still have to buy price-altered, fake and low-quality imported olive oil, while US olive oil is relegated to the annals of agriculture as a quaint novelty.

May the sun shine through your branches.

www.olivecrazy.com

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