COLD PRESSED OLIVE OIL

I went to Central Italy in the fall for the olive harvest.  Being a city person, I’d never thought about how all that wonderful, rich, buttery olive oil gets to my kitchen shelves.

Above: An olive tree ready to be harvested on my gentleman farmer friend’s estate. 

It was a thrilling experience to be a part of something so ancient – human beings have been picking these berries of trees just like this one for thousands of years! 

Though my real job was to feed our hungry motley crew of friends and family in for the harvest, I also traipsed through the muddy hills and did my share of picking. 

Above: Here, our olives begin the process.  First they’re washed, then, they’re sorted (leaves and twigs are removed), then they’re pressed under enormous stones or milled by machine.  Either way – it’s a cold process. 

While I was at it, my curiosity was piqued: I tasted a nice, juicy, ripe black olive, right off the tree – horrendous!  It tastes toxic! 

How did those first people come up with the idea of picking them and then squishing them with heavy stones to extract their oil?  It’s one of those food mysteries I always ponder… like fluffy egg whites peaks, mayonnaise, whipped cream, etc. – all strange and wonderful products that probably come to us through much trial and error.

Above: On our way to the mill – the Tuscan countryside is stunning!

Above: The cold pressed olive oil is flowing through the spigot – ready for a final filtering and then decanting.

The final product is surprisingly green in this part of the world.  And it’s flavor is as complex as most wines.  It has a beginning nutty palate which is rich like a salted butter and then goes down the throat with a touch of spicy chilly… so much character!  Sensational oil to use to finish a dish!

Above: This is a 5 liter canister of our rich, green oil…. Tuscan gold is really olive green.

This got me thinking.

Here in the states, cooks are trained to only use olive oil to finish dishes.  We’re taught to use light, flavorless oil for frying, sautéing and vinaigrettes.  On top of it, we’ve been brainwashed into accepting canola oil as the go-to oil for all our actual cooking.

Upon investigation I’ve developed some concerns:

1.      It (canola), along with corn and soy oils, is extracted at very high temperatures.  The temperatures are so high that I doubt any nutritional value remains in them… this is why it has such a great shelf-life... it’s dead. 

2.     All these oils are also extracted with the use of solvents – specifically hexane.  I’ve never gone anywhere and asked a waiter to please add some hexane to my fish.  Have you?

3.     Peanut oil – a great alternative has a very high allergic response.

I still love my olive oil.  And I’m finding it in all the markets I frequent (looks for Extra Virgin “COLD PRESSED” – it’s noticeably better).

Note: Light olive oil may be mixed with palm oil, and if it’s simply marked olive oil, it’s the second, third or even the fourth press of the processed olives – they use heat and may also use some solvents to assist in the extraction.

However, I still want light, flavorless oil for my vinaigrettes! 

I’m now using “expeller pressed” Safflower or Sunflower oil.  I’m finding these readily in the markets I frequent.  Like the soy and canola, they have no trans-fats, and unlike them, they are absolutely hexane free.

HERE’S MY GO-TO VINAIGRETTE:

Above: I use it as a salad dressing, veggie sauce, and a marinade.
Ingredients: light flavorless oil, good white wine or rice vinegar*, a tsp of Dijon mustard, pinch of sugar, kosher or sea salt, fresh thyme or dill – chopped fine (you can also use dry), fresh ground black pepper.

Proportions are the key: Most vinaigrettes are 1to 3 but I prefer a 1 to 2 proportion of oil to vinegar… ¼ cup of oil and ½ cup of vinegar. 

Whisk or use the tines of a fork to emulsify them.  Add the Dijon and emulsify them. (emulsify = mix thoroughly)

Now add the condiments, and voila!  This salad dressing is also a rocking marinade for chicken and fish, plus it will put a definite zing to your blanched veggies.  Enjoy!
A DIET NOTE FOR ALL OF YOU:  Relax and put love into the pot and it will nourish you (and anyone else who eats your food with you).  Nobody needs or wants to eat stress so let’s keep it out of the casserole.  Remember: champagne, cheese, and butter are all glorious mistakes.
FOOTNOTE: *white vinegar should only be used for washing windows.