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Going for the Green: A Ciclismo Olive Odyssey, Lauren's Green Wheels and our 20th anniversary jersey
 You hear a lot about going green these days (rightly so!), but "green" means different things to different folks. In this issue of the Pasta Times, we'll cover what green means to us at Ciclismo Classico. Of course, in Boston where St Patty's Day has the status of a national holiday, everything's starting to take on a green hue already.
We're also celebrating the environmental sustainability meaning of being green. Last week I put my passion to action and took my brand new Bike Friday Tikit (guess what color?) to Washington DC for the 9th annual National Bike Summit where I was hosted by Bikes Belong, a powerhouse bicycling advocacy organization sponsored by the U.S. bicycle industry with the goal of putting more people on bicycles more often. For many people the bicycle is the perfect symbol of sustainability, and living green. In 2009, the exciting stage is set for bicyclists to once again lead reform of our transportation system. A "smart" GREEN transportation movement is needed to solve the challenges of climate change, obesity, congestion, pollution, safety, and dependence on foreign oil. The 2009 National Bike Summit is focused on "Going for the Green" and making a powerful case for expanding federal support for bicycling - for active transportation and recreation. Over 500 cycling advocates and industry leaders were educated, inspired and given the unique opportunity to go to "the hill," meet Members of Congress and ask for support and sponsorship of four specific Bicycle Goals for the 111th Congress: The America Bikes Agenda, Clean TEA (The Clean, Low Emission, Affordable, New Transportation and Efficiency Act) and Complete Streets. Change is in the air for bicycling in America and I am honored to be a part of this exciting new vision.
I am also excited to announce an exciting NEW Ciclismo Classico tour that will be literally look and taste GREEN. We have teamed up with Colavita, fine purveyors of olive oil and pasta for centuries to create a one-of-a-kind, first ever Colavita Olive Oil Harvest Tour that will launch this October and focus almost exclusively on the Art of Olive Oil Production. This 7 day intermediate tour, led by the one and only Enrico Pizzorni will be based in Molise (known for its GREEN hilly landscape) and famous for the production of olive oil, pasta, cheese and wine. Enrico will personally visit the Colavita family in April and knowing his gastronomic expertise, we expect a full report on all of his tastings!
Speaking of Olives, enjoy our full in depth GREEN report on this beloved fruit that has served a multitude of cultural purposes throughout time. Not only do we love the taste of olives but for thousands of years the olive branch has been used as a sign of peace and goodwill. This may be partly due to the fact that in early cultivation of the olive, it took decades to bear fruit for harvest, and, therefore, it was believed that anyone who planted olive groves was expecting a long and peaceful life. The bicycle is a not only a very convenient green transportation solution to our " inconvenient" environmental crisis but I believe the bicycle is the 21st century olive branch that peacefully promotes sustainability while connecting all people through their own unlimited human energy and simple yet profound ingenuity and passion for mobility. In celebration of Ciclismo Classico's 20th year of human powered tours, we are proud to denote 2009/2010 as our official Green Year and super excited about our NEW Green Human Powered Jersey designed by Top Guide Dana Geraghty. A portion of the proceeds from jersey sales will go to my favorite bicycle advocacy organization, Bikes Belong.
Dance as if no one were watching
Sing as if no one were listening
And Live (and bike) every day
As if it were your last.
An Irish Blessing (with a twist)
Happy St. Patty's Day!
Lauren O'Hefferon Orazietti
and the Green Ciclismo Team
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NEW! Colavita Olive Oil Harvest Tour
Limited Space Available on this Exclusive One-of-a-kind Tour
 In partnership with our friends at leading olive oil producer Colavita, we are proud to offer the first ever bike tour in the Molise region of gastronomic focus. In the spirit of our Giro Del Gelato, Ciclismo Classico has once again created an masterpiece itinerary that will offer world-class cycling while celebrating, learning about and tasting Italy's finest olive oil, pasta, truffles, and other local products. Teaming up with Colavita, Ciclismo Classico is rolling out the GREEN carpet to give you a one-of-a-kind experience on our new Colavita Olive Oil Harvest Tour in the olive-rich agricultural region of Molise. This 7-day trip, led by super guide and gastronomic expert Enrico Pizzorni, will immerse you in the olive oil culture of Italy's second smallest region with our friends from the Colavita family. Ciclismo, you can expect stunning rides, expert guiding, behind-the-scenes visits and tastings that will pump you up and tickle your taste buds.
Best of all, anyone who signs up for this trip by April 30th receives a gift-basket-of-plenty, filled with Colavita products!
The region's striking and dramatic mountains give way to smooth sandy beaches along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The Molise cuisine reflects the diversity of the terrain featuring precious truffles, delicious cheeses, pasta, wine, and of course, olive oil. Molise is still a lesser-known destination, even for Italians, and Ciclismo will be the first bike tour operator to offer our guests an insight to this beautiful corner of Italy. The tour will be made extra-special by the hospitality of one of the region's most prominent families and highly-respected producers, Colavita.
Colavita is a renowned supporter of cycling worldwide, from their sponsorship of the Colavita Sutter Home pro cycling team and many amateur teams to the Colavita Foundation for Children, which educates and provides bikes and helmets to children in need (among other worthy objectives).
For more information, click here.
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Come Tour the Olive Mills
By Cristiano Bonino
 Among cultural events on our tour, we always try to arrange an olive oil tasting and visit to a local mill. Italian regions such as; Puglia, Tuscany, Umbria, and Calabria, represent the expression of the local life style and traditions rooted in the territory.
Olive oil mills in Italy are often housed in beautiful ancient villas or old farms. Each uniquely represents a cultural event for us because we can show our guests what makes that specific territory special.
The process of making oil has basically remained the same since the Middle Ages - the main difference being the machines involved in the process.
On our Assaggio Toscana tour, we stop at the Fattoria dei Mandri to visit the old Medici estate and olive oil press. There, guests have the opportunity to learn how oil is made and to taste it fresh.
After a tour of the Mill and demonstration of the machines used, we take a tour of the Villa in which the Medici's family used to live in the Middle Ages. This exciting walk in the past will be topped off with the taste of the locally produced oil on a slice of toasted Tuscan bread.
Guests will learn to distinguish regular Virgin olive oil from Extra Virgin, to "decipher" the label, to acquire a different taste based on the sample of the top oil compared with the low-quality ones, and to learn how acidity and quality make the big difference.
The oil produced can be different based on the varieties of olives used. Even the time of the harvest can produce a different kind of oil because the slightly unripe olives usually release a much spicier and peppery flavor than the ripe olives. The first type of olive is great with raw vegetables and is often consumed fresh and not cooked. The latter is recommended for cooking due to its less pungent and flavorful taste.
Even the latitude and the altitude dramatically change the taste of the oil: extra virgin oils in Puglia and Calabria (South of Italy) are very thick, pungent and intense - a real explosion of powerful flavors while the ones produced in Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria are lighter and less intense but just different and in way inferior to their Southern ones.
On our tours, we can also arrange a more in-depth perspective of the process of making/tasting extra virgin olive oil or simply a quick visit. We love to include these types of visits on our tours to learn more about the most important ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine! |
New Ciclismo Jerseys for 2009
Go Green and mak'em Green with Envy with this year's Olive Jersey!
Make your cycling buddies green with envy when you show up in Ciclismo Classico's brand new 2009 Olive Jersey! With every year, we create a new and stylish jersey for the season. Our jersey theme is often food or wine; in the past years we have had Pasta, Gelato, Coffee and Fine Wine. This year's stunning Olive Oil Jersey was generously sponsored by Colavita, Taza Chocolate, the Bikes Belong Coalition and Bianchi Bikes. For this special 20th season edition, director Lauren Hefferon worked with super Ciclismo guide, artist and designer, Dana Geraghty,who as a real knack for creating jerseys that our guests covet and collect. Her eye for design and attention to detail makes this one of our best jerseys yet. Turn heads on the bike path as you cruise by in this stylish, one-of-a-kind jersey!
Can't take a trip this year, but still want this special anniversary jersey? No problem! Pre-order one by March 31st and SAVE $10 off the regular price of $70. Just call (800) 866-7314 or email us your size(s), quantity, credit card and mailing information to order yours and we'll ship it to you as soon as it's ready. |
The History of the Olive
A sacred, ancient fruit that's good for the heart and soul!
Having been grown before the written language was even created, the olive tree is one of the oldest known cultivated trees on Earth. Originating in Asia Minor, the olive spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the shores of the Mediterranean basin over 6,000 years ago. Now, you can find olive trees in lots of places - even sunny California!
Using ancient stone presses, inhabitants on the Greek isle of Crete are widely believed to be the first to produce olive oil. In Greek mythology, it is told that the goddess Athena introduced the olive to Greece and it was considered a more peaceful invention than Poseidon's horse. Lucky for us we didn't end up drizzling horse oil on our pasta! She placed the tree at the site of the Acropolis, where it still thrives. From there, olive trees were popping up all along the Mediterranean shores of Africa and Southern Europe like wildflowers and became a source of wealth for those countries. Throughout the Roman Dynasty, the olive was introduced to the far reaches of the empire. Having been ingrained in the Italian and Greek cultures for millennia, olive oil is a heavily used ingredient in each culture's cuisine. But it's not just for food - other uses include religious rituals, medicines, fuel, soap-making, and skin care.
In the Jewish faith, olive oil plays a very important part in history. It is the only fuel to be used in the seven-branched Menorah. The first drop from a squeezed olive was consecrated for use only in the Temple, which is where the expression "pure olive oil" is derived. Oil was stored in special containers, the last of which was found during the re-dedication of the Temple where it miraculously lasted far longer than expected, allowing extra time to produce more. The holiday of Hanukkah celebrates this miracle substituting eight candles for each night the oil burned.
It's no surprise then that the olive is often regarded as a symbol of strength, healing, and peace. Jewish kings, Muslims, and Christian bishops often used it for anointing royalty and baptisms. The Muslim prophet, Muhammed, suggested his followers consume the oil and slather their bodies with it as it was "of the blessed tree" and believed it could cure 70 diseases. The Greeks and Romans also used the oil on their athletes for increased strength and healing their sick. Egyptian culture often used olives to anoint the dead, having been discovered in tombs dating back to 2000 BC.
Over the last few hundred years, the olive tree has been introduced to North and South America, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. There's even an International Olive Oil Council which promotes olive oil throughout the world and measures production and consumption! Today, 750 million olives are cultivated worldwide with 95% of production coming from the Mediterranean region and going straight into our bellies! |
An Olive Landscape
If you have a favorite brand of olive oil, chances are it came from one of three countries: Italy, Spain or Greece. With over 79% of oil production coming from these destinations, the Mediterranean basin is considered to have the highest quality olive oil in the world.
Italy
The oldest
fossilized remains of an olive tree were found in Livorno, Italy dating
back twenty million years. Although cultivation didn't occur until the
times of the Romans, it's still a very integral part of Italy's
culture. Making up 25% of the world's olive oil production, the main
regions of production in Italy are Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria, and Molise - the base for our new Colavita Olive Oil Tour.
Tuscany and Umbria are on the northern ridge of oil production and are
more susceptible to undesired cooler temperatures. As such, the fruit
never matures enough to fall from the trees and must be handpicked.
However, the oils produced in these regions are regarded as some of the
highest quality one can find. Check out our list of trips in Italy for your chance to visit an Italian olive mill.
Spain
Spain only recently became a major player in olive oil production. For decades, growers exported their olives to other countries for them to make the oil. However, in recent years, olive factories started branding their own bottles for sale. Now they are the leading producer of olive oil in all of Europe covering 36% of the market. The region of Andalucia, with its hot, dry summer and mild winters, makes it perfect for olive trees to flourish. It accounts for approximately 75% of Spain's olive oil production. Other regions include Castilla - La Mancha, Extremadura, Catalonia, Aragon and Valencia. Visit an olive press on our Andalucia trip!
Greece
Calling Greece the third largest producer of olive oil may be correct, but a bit misleading. Sure, it accounts for 18% of overall production, but it's the largest exporter of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the world. Half of Greece's olive oil production is exported to other countries in order to raise their official ratio (therefore adding to the production levels of importing countries). Beginning in the 19th century, a large number of incentives were given to individual producers, allowing tiny Greece to become a powerhouse in olive oil production. Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil is often considered the best in the world.
Olive Oil Classifications
If you've spent several minutes trying to find a proper brand of olive oil, you're not alone. There are many different classifications of olive oil available for purchase. Don't know which kind you should get? Take a look below for a helpful reference on the different kinds of olive oils.
Extra Virgin - Comes from virgin oil production only and contains no more than .8% acidity. It is considered to have superior quality.
Virgin - Virgin olive oil is produced through physical means and contains no chemical treatment. It has an acidity of less than 2% and is considered good quality.
Pure - Often blends virgin and refined (chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes) into production. Commonly lacks a strong flavor.
Pomace - Fit for consumption, but rarely sold at retail, it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.
Lampante - Not suitable for consumption, Lampante is used in oil-burning lamps.
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From the Tree to your Taste Buds
The Journey of the Olive
 Feel like harvesting some olives for oil this year? Well, set aside a few days and get ready for some hard work! A lot goes into getting oil from the delicious fruit that is the olive. Harvesting usually occurs between September and November, depending on the ripeness of the olive. Unripe olives are green in color, which then progresses to red, and then black. The best time to harvest the olives is in between their red and black phases.
Most modern olive harvesters start out by picking up olives that have naturally fallen off the trees. However, as is the case with all fruits, these are less desired due to their bruising and rotting potential. Oil can still be extracted from these olives, but they are often kept separate from the ones picked from the trees.
After the olives have been picked up off the ground, it's time to lay plastic nets in the orchard around the trees. There are several different tools for getting olives off the tree. One such tool is a machine that grabs the tree by the trunk and shakes the olives free. Another smaller version of this can be used on branches. For higher quality olive harvesters, the olives are often handpicked to reduce any bruising. When placing the olives in collection buckets, the best method is not to pack so many in order to prevent crushing those on the bottom. If the fruit is damaged, it can become oxidized, giving the oil a higher acidity. Oils with very low acidity are considered to be of the highest quality. Once the olives have been shaken from their branches, it's time to gather up the nets and begin sorting different sizes.
The best-produced oils are processed 2-3 days after harvest. For centuries, oil extraction was done using stone machines that would mash the olives into a paste. Pressure was then applied to squeeze out the oils. After World War II, steel drums using centrifugal force were used to extract the oil from the paste. A second round of spinning is done to separate the oil from water, which is used during olive processing. Olives which are hand-picked and made into oil that contains less than 1% acidity are given the premium label of Extra Virgin.
With your fresh bottle of olive oil, why not try it in this delicious recipe:
Caponatina
You can eat this bruschetta style on toast points or topped over pasta. Will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
4 medium eggplants peeled and diced
4 onions sliced
1 1/2 cups olive oil
12 green olives
capers
12 large black olives pitted and diced
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
4 stalks celery diced
Directions
Fry eggplant in 1 cup olive oil until browned. Remove from skillet.
Add onions, browning gently over medium heat in another 1/2 cup olive oil.
Add tomato sauce and celery and cook until tender.
Add capers, olives and pine nuts, and the fried eggplant.
Heat wine vinegar and sugar until dissolved. Add this to eggplant mixture.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Allow to simmer until flavors mix.
Click here for other recipes.
For more Olive Oil information:
Olive Oil Source
Slow Food
Healing Daily
Books on Olive Oil
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