Next week my colleagues and I will begin work on something we take very seriously: selecting the oil we’ll use for our Olio Nuovo. It’s the freshest possible extra virgin olive oil you can find. Our milling team bottles the oil right after they press the olives. Unlike other oils, we don’t put Olio Nuovo into tanks at our two mills for a few months to allow the fruit particles and other sediment to settle.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Alexander and DHC © Alexander Imaging

We expect to begin shipping Olio Nuovo next month. I bring it up because I’m thinking about how to pair food with our robust extra virgin olive oils, namely Olio Nuovo and Arbosana EVOO.  (Click on these links if you want to read about delicate extra virgin olive oils, such as Arbequina, and medium oils.)

The guidelines below come from a talk I attended at the University of California, Davis, Olive Center. Olive oil expert Fran Gage led the discussion.

Robust oils deliver the highest pungency and bitterness. They also provide the highest level of polyphenols – the chemical substances found in plants that may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. According to Gage, robust oils also last longer than delicate or medium oils.

Here are Gage’s guidelines for pairing food with robust oils:

• Brushed atop bruschetta
• In Spanish romesco sauce
• With soups in general, as an ingredient and/or drizzled on top
• In the seafood medley paella
• With garlic mashed potatoes
• Drizzled on top of a grilled and sliced rib eye steak
• In biscotti, such as those pictured here
• In olive oil ice cream. Here, too, the guidelines are flexible. Famed pastry chef and author David Lebovitz suggests a delicate Arbequina EVOO in his excellent olive oil ice cream.
• For all things chocolate – although chocolate is actually a special case, according to Gage. It pairs well with all types of olive oils. (Is there anything not to like about chocolate?)

One final note: In her book, The New American Olive Oil (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009), Gage dishes up a delicious spaghetti made from Olio Nuovo. The noodles are simply tossed with peeled and sliced garlic, a pinch or two of red chile flakes, Olio Nuovo and some fleur de sel.

Bon appétit,

Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch

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