News from Texas Hill Country Olive Co

December 2009

From the Orchard

By John Gambini (Founder & Co-Owner)

As we transition from fall to the winter months, it continues to be an exciting time here at the orchard. Our visits to the many fall festivals have resulted in many new adoptions of our beautiful olive trees. We are truly thankful to have you all become members of our family farm for the next twelve months.

Many of our new members have started coming out to visit us at the orchard. Rick and Mike got to meet ten of our new members and their families a week ago. It is truly rewarding for us to hear comments such as, "This is the greatest day of my life," from the kids who have toured the orchard with their families and had the opportunity to pick a few of the olives we missed on their tree. It makes us proud to have such a wonderful impact on the families who have adopted trees. Being a family farm that is really what we are all about. Our sincere desire is to grow and produce the finest organic extra virgin olive oil in the U.S. and raise the awareness of how important olive oil is to your overall health.

Thanks again for your support of family farming and being a part of Texas Hill Country Olive Company.

Buona Salute, y'all!

Rick's Trip to Rochester
By Rick Mensik (Founder/Co-Owner)

It seems wherever I go, people are excited about getting involved with the Adopt an Olive Tree program. Recently, while visiting my daughter and grandson in Rochester, New York, my son-in-law invited me on the Brother Wease Show on 95.1 The FOX to talk about the health benefits of olive oil. I brought in a dish of sliced tomatoes sautéed in olive oil and sprinkled with ground pepper as well as and Micki Sannar's Chocolate Sin cookies from her cookbook, Olive Oil Desserts: Delicious and Healthy Heart Smart Baking (baked by my daughter, Jessica). Both items were a big hit in the control room. I also gave a gift box of our olive oil to Brother Wease for him to enjoy with his family. We had some calls to the station and several adoptions that day.

Festivals
By Nicole Swanson (Marketing Assistant/Co-Owner)

Rick, John, Cara, and I loaded up the cars and drove to the Rio Cibolo Ranch for the San Antonio New World Wine and Food Festival. We had a really great time - probably the most fun I've had at a festival yet! The turnout was great. We had tons of people interested in our adoption program and there was universal agreement on how great the olive oil tasted.

Unlike many other festivals, there was great food and wine everywhere you looked, so we didn't need to worry about going hungry. San Antonio TV chef, Michael Flores, was cooking one of his recipes from the Go Texan recipe book that was being distributed at the festival. He used our wonderful extra virgin olive oil in his recipe, which, of course, made it taste even better.

Cara and I managed to sneak off for awhile, leaving our Dads to man the booth. We took a hayride tour of the ranch and got to feed longhorns, donkeys, llamas, and a beefalo (cross between a domestic cow and an American Buffalo - photo I found on the internet shown here because we didn't have a camera on us).

Altogether it was an enjoyable experience that we hope to have again next year. We hope you will join us then!

Master Miller's Conference - Sonoma, CA (Part 2)
By Michael Mensik (Orchard Manager/Co-Owner)

For the second installment of information I learned at the conference, and because 60% of all consumed oil comes from outside the U.S., I'd like to explain the difference between domestic and imported olive oil. The single biggest factor in olive oil quality is time. The best olive oil is that which makes it from the orchard to your table in as little time as possible so that it is fresh and still full of the nutrients and antioxidants that make olive oil so beneficial to your health. In order to get the olive oil to your table as quickly as possible, you should look for olive oil that is produced inside the U.S. by a company that does not mass produce their olive oil.

Companies who mass produce their olive oil often have olives sitting for days on end waiting to be milled. The longer the olives sit around, the more acidic they become, losing many of the nutrients and much of the flavor. In addition, if you buy imported olive oil, you have to add on the time involved in packaging and shipping your olive oil to the U.S.

Another problem with imported olive oil is the common practice for some large-scale producers outside the U.S. to include ground harvest olives. These are over ripe olives that have fallen off the tree by themselves and are picked up along with dirt rocks and whatever else is on the ground. Olives are always washed before being milled, but our company, along with most U.S. producers, refuses to lower our product to ground harvest levels.

Buying your olive oil from producers who harvest, mill, and bottle in small batches locally is the simplest way to ensure you are receiving the best, tastiest, and most healthful olive oil you can have for your family.

Till next month, enjoy our fresh, delicious Texas Hill Country Olive Oil.

Day-to-Day at the Orchard
By Michael Mensik (Orchard Manager/Co-Owner)

The cooler weather is making its way into the hill country and bringing some moisture with it. Though the rain is much needed here, it has caused several projects to drag on much longer than expected in the orchard due to the big soggy mess produced by the rains, but that's all a part of farming. It seems we get a few good sunny days and then comes the rain. We just keep plugging away at the items on our "to do" list. Rain or shine, there is always plenty to do at the orchard. The best thing about all this weather is the beautiful olive trees are getting bigger everyday. We truly do enjoy having visitors at the orchard, so please call us on the good weather days and come spend a few hours with me to talk olives.

Recipes
Ginger Apple Cake
By Micki Sannar

Printed in Olive Oil Desserts: Delicious and Healthy Heart Smart Baking
This is a favorite of mine to make in the fall, when the apples are at their best. The only way to improve upon this cake is to share it with a dear friend.

Ingredients
1 large apple, peeled and chopped (Fujis are best)
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup pure olive oil
⅔ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
2 large egg whites, beaten
½ cup molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon ginger
2½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water

Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cups milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 pinch salt

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat one 9x13-inch pan with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In a small mixing bowl, blend chopped apples with brown sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.
3. In mixer bowl add olive oil, sugar, egg, and egg whites. Blend until smooth.
4. Add molasses, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Mix until well blended.
5. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend again.
6. On low speed, slowly add boiling water and mix until smooth and creamy (scraping sides if necessary).
7. Gently fold in apple/sugar mixture.
8. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 35~40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove and glaze immediately.

Glaze Preparation
In small mixing bowl, add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Mix until well blended. Spread evenly over cake while hot.

Serves 12-16

Events

Please look for our booth at the following events: