tips and tricks
ALL ABOUT OLIVE OIL
Learn the distinctions of this healthy meal enhancer.
WRITTEN BY NICOLE CHESLOCK
PHOTOS BY CHRIS HOLLOMAN
“I was, sadly, one of those uninformed consumers who would buy the $6 bottle of olive oil off the grocery store shelf and think I was making a healthy choice,” says Alysia Peters, a Reno resident. “However, after tasting true California EVOO [extra-virgin olive oil] and completing an advanced sensory/taste evaluation course at the University of California, Davis Olive Oil Institute, there was no going back.”
Now, as the owner of We Olive olive oil tasting and wine bar in Reno, Peters supports California olive farmers and educates customers about the health benefits of EVOO. She also now can effortlessly rattle off tasty concoctions that feature it. These include using basil olive oil and peach white balsamic vinegar in a champagne cocktail, as well as adding a dash of organic Mission olive oil, Mission fig balsamic vinegar, and sea salt to vanilla bean ice cream.
However you incorporate olive oil — drizzled over farm-fresh tomatoes or roasted vegetables and meat, in fresh salsas topping grilled fish, integrated into superb summertime desserts, or in exquisite salad dressings — using true extra-virgin olive oil will enhance every bite.
EVOO defined
Extra-virgin olive oil refers to the first press of olives. By definition, no additives or chemicals are used when crushing the olives, and such as with other fruit juices, the fresher it is, the healthier and better tasting the juice.
“You only have two years from press date (not from when you purchase or open a bottle) to eat extra-virgin olive oils,” explains Annette Schoonover, an olive grower in Placerville whose Shakespeare’s Acre, a robust Tuscan varietal, was awarded gold at The New York International Olive Oil Competition.
To be classified as extra virgin, the International Olive Oil Council requires a Free Fatty acid count below eight-tenths per 100 grams (in addition to EVOO, which is the least-processed and highest-grade olive oil, classifications include virgin and ordinary). The lower the number, the higher the smoke point — it is OK to use EVOO for daily sautéing.
Mild, medium, and robust are categories used to describe EVOOs. Mild is most appropriate for salad dressing, fish, and potatoes; medium refers to everyday EVOOs; and robust are considered the most fruity and best for soups and sauces.
Selection process
Purchasing directly from a grower or informed retailer gives consumers the opportunity to learn more about the olive oil. You want to find out the harvest date, and, if you’re inclined, polyphenol count and DAG score (freshness quotient), but even more than that, assess how the EVOO feels and tastes.
“If at all possible, taste it,” advises Natasha Weissman, owner of Tahoe Oil & Spice.
Shortly after entering her shop in historic Truckee, one is sampling high-quality EVOOs from around the world. Weissman, who uses olive oil on just about everything, equates the experience to wine tasting and says that people acquire a taste for more robust EVOO the more they use it.
A recent UC Davis study found that 69 percent of standard grocery-store selections are marketed as EVOO but are not — the erroneously marketed products are either mixed with lower-quality or different kinds of oils or are rancid. (When olive oil is exposed to air and light, it goes bad more quickly than if it’s stored in a cool, dark place.)
“The best advice and the easiest way to choose the healthiest extra-virgin olive oils is to purchase olive oils that are certified by the California Olive Oil Council,” Schoonover recommends. “Producers may not be certified organic because of the exorbitant fees and costs involved … Buying local is the best, and buying COOC certified is the next best.”
All of the EVOOs at We Olive are COOC certified, meaning the oils have passed chemical analysis and human taste panels and have no defects.
Choose a blend
High-quality blends start with EVOO (once an element is introduced, the oil is no longer considered extra virgin). Weissman explains that using infused olive oil is a simple and healthy way to add flavor to just about any dish. Tuscan Herb, a blend of garlic, rosemary, and oregano, is a top seller.
At Winterhill Farms, Schoonover’s family-run business, Meyer lemon, Persian lime, blood orange, basil, rosemary, jalapeño, and garlic are examples of items that are “pressed with the fruit.”
Blends help cooks, from novice to veteran, create culinary delights.
“Infused oils are so versatile,” Weissman says. “It’s almost like cheating.”
Growing up in an Italian household, Nicole Cheslock began enjoying extra-virgin olive oil at a young age and begins almost every dinner by sautéing garlic in EVOO. Cheslock organized a sell-out olive oil tasting hosted by The Cedar House Sport Hotel in 2012.
RESOURCES
Best olive oils in the world, http://www.Bestoliveoils.com
Big Horn Olive Oil Co., 3888 Mayberry Drive, Reno, 775-870-1500 and 75 Foothill Road, Ste. 3, Reno, 775-800-1342, http://www.Bighornoliveoil.com
California Olive Oil Council, http://www.Cooc.com
Cooking Techniques and Recipes with Olive Oil by Mary Platis and Laura Bashar
Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller
International Olive Council, http://www.Internationaloliveoil.org
Tahoe Oil & Spice, 10091 Donner Pass Road, Truckee, Calif., 530-550-8857, http://www.Tahoeoilandspice.com
Tahoe Ridge Winery, 1644 Highway 395, Minden, 775-783-1566 and 1105 S. Carson St., Carson City, 775-473-1790, http://www.Tahoeridgewinery.com
UC Davis Olive Center, http://www.Oliveoil.ucdavis.edu
We Olive, 4991 S. Virginia St., Reno, 775-440-1480, http://www.Weolive.com
Winterhill Farm, 321 Main St., Placerville, Calif., 530-626-6369, http://www.Winterhillfarms.com
Recipes
Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
(courtesy of Annette Schoonover, owner of Winterhill Farms. Serves 16)
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup Winterhill lemon-infused olive oil
4 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat sugar and olive oil together at medium speed with mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with knife. Combine 2 tablespoons of flour with blueberries in small bowl and toss well. Combine remaining flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream. Fold in blueberry mixture, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Spray Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in small bowl and drizzle over warm cake.
Lemon Olive Oil Cake
(courtesy of Annette Schoonover, owner of Winterhill Farm. Serves about 8 to 10)
A dense, moist cake that stays fresh longer than butter cakes is healthier, and makes a great breakfast or later evening treat with espresso or white wine.
½ cup Winterhill lemon-infused olive oil
⅓ cup sweet white wine
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs, separated
2 large egg whites
¾ cup sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
1 pint fresh berries of your choice
2 to 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Mild olive oil (Winterhill’s Mission) to coat pan
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Brush 9-inch springform pan with mild-flavored olive oil or spray with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Combine flour and salt in bowl and set aside.
In large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar until light yellow. Add flour mix to egg mix and beat on medium-low until well blended. Beat in lemon zest.
In small bowl, combine wine and lemon-infused olive oil. Slowly pour wine/oil mix into flour/egg mix, beating thoroughly as you pour until combined. Set aside.
In a clean bowl with clean beaters, beat seven egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of whites into batter with rubber spatula. Then fold in remaining whites just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45 to 50 minutes, until pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Run long, thin knife blade around edge of pan and detach ring. Save some berries for garnish; pulse remainder with confectioners’ sugar in food processor until smooth. Right before serving, top cake with berry purée and garnish with whole berries.
