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CELEBRATING SUMMER'S BOUNTY
  AUGUST 2012
EVOO with Fresh Herbs
IN THIS ISSUE
LIMITED RESERVE
Be among the first notified about the availability of our Limited Reserve extra virgin olive oil. Limited Reserve is our freshest oil, and is available only during the fall harvest.
 
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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE RANCH
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Visit our YouTube page and and see what keeps our ranchers and millers busy.

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FACES AT THE RANCH
Brian Mori

Meet Brian

Rancher Brian Mori works with our contract growers on matters like crop practices, harvest, and quality. Brian is shown here talking about the Arbosana olive tree to members of our office staff. 
FAN PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Carolyn Mann photo of slow-roasted tomatoes with garlic, parsley and olive oil

Send Us Your Photos!

Congratulations to Carolyn Mann! Carolyn shared a photo on our Facebook page of her slow-roasted tomatoes with garlic, parsley and olive oil. As a result, she's won some olive oil. You can win next month's contest by sending us a photo showing how you use our oil. Put "Fan Photo" in the subject line and send it to the email address below, or post it on our Facebook page

[email protected]
SAVORING THE SUMMER'S FRESH VEGGIES AND FRUITS
Farmers Market Fotosearch
The clock is ticking down to our fall harvest, in October. Our field staff is busy surveying our own orchards and those of growers we work with to determine our total crop.

We use that information to map out logistics, such as the trucks we'll need to bring the olives to our mill in Artois. The amount of crop varies by region. As of now, the heaviest crop areas are in the northern Sacramento Valley as well as the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta area.

While planning our own harvest, we've been savoring the ultra-fresh vegetables and fruits harvested this summer by farmers across California. We've been trekking to our local farmers' market and filling our bags with Japanese eggplant, heirloom tomatoes, golden beets, corn, peaches, apricots, and more.  

"Peach juice dripping down a chin. Nectar oozing from a fig. Corn spilling from a truck," Janet Fletcher writes in her book, Fresh From the Farmers' Market (Chronicle Books, 2008). "The summer farmers' market puts nature's exuberance on display, in booth after booth of seductive produce."

We couldn't agree more. After making our selections, we head back to our kitchen and dream up ways of turning our farm-fresh bounty into appealing dishes. It might involve grilling, roasting, steaming, or enjoying something like kohlrabi or peaches raw.  And it involves good California extra virgin olive oil.

To help you celebrate the summer bounty, we've collected a variety of recipes that transform farm-fresh vegetables and fruits into appealing dishes. We'd love to see photos of what you prepare with our olive oil. Who knows ... maybe your photo will be chosen as fan photo of the month and you'll win a bottle of our olive oil!
Our Favorite Veggie and Fruit Recipes
Mom's Summer Tomato Salad
Mom's Summer Tomato Salad Cookbook author and TV personality Mary Ann Esposito remembers this dish from when she was a child. When her father's tomatoes were coming in, her mother would prepare this salad. It was paired with homemade bread for sopping up the tomato juices. "Pure heaven!," she exclaims in Ciao Italia Family Classics (St. Martin's Press, 2011), where the recipe appears. Our Arbequina oil would be a good choice for the dressing.   

  Click here to see the recipe
Charred Corn On the Cob with Grilled Tomato Oil
Cedar Planked New York Steak with Rosemary and Honey "A grill is the best vessel you have for cooking corn," Andrew Schloss and David Joachim write in Fire It Up (Chronicle Books, 2011), where this recipe appears. "Just start the fire and throw the cobs on, husks and all." The corn is paired with an oil made with grilled tomatoes, olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, and honey. Our Arbequina, Miller's Blend and Arbosana oils would be good for the tomato oil.

 Click here to see the recipe

Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta
Arugula Salad with Watermelon and Feta Chicago chef Stephanie Izard says there's nothing better on a warm summer day than this savory watermelon salad. "The balsamic-honey reduction adds acidity, fresh arugula bring a bit of savory spice, and some salty and rich feta cheese ties it all together," she writes in Girl in the Kitchen (Chronicle Books, 2011), where this recipe appears. Our robust Miller's Blend or Arbosana oils would be a good match for the dressing. 

  Click here to see the recipe
Pasta Salad with Tomatoes, Zucchini, Corn, and Feta
Tequila Salmon "This cold pasta is a summer festival in a bowl: delicious, crunchy sweet corn; earthy pan-roasted zucchini; refreshing fresh herbs; salty feta cheese ... and most of all, the amazingly flavorful heirlooms," says food guru and blogger Viviane Bauquet Farre, who shared this recipe with us. This farm-fresh pasta salad also has fresh chives and basil. Our Everyday Fresh would be good for pan roasting the zucchini. Any of our oils would work well in preparing the pasta salad.

 Click here to see the recipe
Tuna Conserva Salad
Grilled Rib Eye with Crispy Potato and Smoked Bacon Vinaigrette Our featured chef - Royden Ellamar of Sensi, located at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas - contributed this recipe. Tuna is poached in extra virgin olive oil and then used to make a saffron-infused aioli. The aioli becomes a dressing. More tuna is poached gently in olive oil until rare, and included in the salad. The salad also features greens and vegetables. Our Everyday Fresh or Arbequina oils would be good for poaching the tuna. 

   Click here to see the recipe
Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Stacks
Grilled Tuna with Red Wine, Caper, and Olive Sauce During summer, Napa Valley Chef Michael Chiarello prefers dishes that can be made ahead of time and served at room temperature - like this one. "The caramelization of the eggplant and the tomatoes will fill your mouth with flavor and texture, allowing you to eat less and stay light for summer activities," he writes in At Home with Michael Chiarello (Chronicle Books, 2005), where this recipe appears. Drizzle the stacks with our Arbequina, Miller's Blend or Arbosana oils. 

 Click here to see the recipe
A Chef Who Takes His Staff to Meet Farmers
Chef Royden Ellamar
Chef Royden Ellamar, Sensi Royden Ellamar hails originally from Hawaii. His childhood there shaped his decision to become a chef. Today, he's executive chef at Sensi, located at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. His menu showcases various cuisines: Italian, Asian, "American Grill," and seafood. Elamar's cooking also aims to support local agriculture and sustainably grown and naturally raised products. In fact, the chef takes his staff to local farms to teach them the importance of building relationships with local producers.

You were born and grew up in Hilo Hawaii to a family of farmers, hunters and fishermen. How did that influence your decision to become a chef?

From an early age, I understood the process of food. Where it came from, how it was prepared, how it was cooked and finally how it brought people together and created memories.

Who did the cooking in your home while growing up, and what did you eat?

Mainly my mom. We would eat vegetables that my parents and other family members grew and fish and pork that other family members caught or raised. All our food had a Filipino or Asian flair to it because of our heritage and Hawaii's ethnic mashup of Asians.

What is your earliest food memory?

Making lumpia - a Filipino pork and vegetable filled spring roll - with my mom.

How do you come up with the ideas for new dishes?

I look to the ingredients to inspire me. I also look for inspiration in flavor memories. I focus on the main ingredient and think of other supporting flavors that haunt my memories and how I can tie them together.

What do you like to cook in your home kitchen?

I love making fried rice. It's my favorite late night snack. You can make fried rice out of anything! I also love making my own Tuna confit - excellent for tuna salad sandwiches. I love making it with California Olive Ranch olive oil!

What foods do you keep in your home fridge?

I keep eggs, butter, cheese, fresh fruit, fresh greens for juicing, salumi and bacon in addition to an arsenal of Asian condiments. I don't eat at home too often because of my busy schedule, but these things offer a great jump off for other dishes and they have longevity.

How do you like to use California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oil in your cooking?  

I like to use it to saut�, poach, finish and make dressings.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love visiting local farms and meeting new growers. At Sensi in Bellagio, we try to use as much local produce as we can; so it's always a thrill for me to go to these farms and see what is growing in this desert. I'm always amazed! Outside of the kitchen, l love mountain biking, 4x4 off-road adventures, and working on my 1964 Buick Wildcat.