This time of year is usually associated with turkey and changing leaves (on happy days) and crushing mall crowds (on other days), but in the world of extra virgin olive oil, it’s harvest time! And to kick of the pressing season, California’s growers have adopted the Italian tradition of Olio Nuovo or “new oil”. Olio Nuovo is the first oil of the season harvested and bottled within 24 hours of picking. It’s unfiltered, intensely flavored, and the freshest extra virgin olive oil you can find…and it’s just arriving at We Olive stores across the state. This fresh, pungent oil is fantastic over grilled bread with a pinch of sea salt, and even better with some fresh, creamy mozzarella. Try it on veggies and salad greens, drizzle it over ice cream, or use it for dipping with rustic bread. Olio Nuovo is a rare treat worthy of celebration, so check your local We Olive’s store page for Olio Nuovo related events. And for a super special seasonal recipe, check out We Olive’s Olio Nuovo Roast Turkey Recipe. It’s more complex and flavorful than any butter drenched turkey and it’s a fantastic celebration of California’s bountiful harvest. Enjoy it while it’s here!
Fresh Off the Press: Olio Nuovo is Here!
November 14th, 2011 by emilydavisWe Olive & Wine Bar
September 26th, 2011 by emilydavisSince it’s inception in 2003, We Olive has become the nation’s premier retailer of California extra virgin olive oil and now it’s setting its sights on another much loved and consumed California export: wine. We Olive opened two new locations in 2011, La Jolla and The OC Mix, and both feature wine tasting alongside the We Olive signature olive oil tasting bars. Much like the olive oils featured at each We Olive store, the small production wines are from top winemakers in California and showcase different styles from unique regions in the state. The wine lists at each store were carefully crafted to give guests access to wines they wouldn’t typically come across on their own. The goal is to offer guests a wine experience much like they’ve had previously with olive oil.
The list in La Jolla features interesting varietals like Albarino and Gruner Veltliner, in addition to the usual suspects from California like Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The expert staff, which includes Sommelier Jacob Suggs, are happy to walk guests through tastings or help a customer choose the right bottle to take home and pair with any of the gourmet foods in the store. The wine bar also offers small plates to pair with wine, including an heirloom tomato caprese salad made with tomatoes from a local farm and fresh mozzarella made to order by artisan cheese maker David Racanelli. The wine bar’s signature cheese and charcuterie plate features a rotating selection of unique cheeses (like a cows milk cheese from the Netherlands studded with cumin seed) and salume (like a duck salami with peppercorn made in Los Angeles) and can be had during Happy Hour at a discounted price.
In La Jolla, wines are sold by the glass and by the bottle, but the bar also offers half glass and taste prices for guests that want to try a variety of wines. The best deals, however, are offered during Happy Hour, when patrons get discounted prices on wines by the glass, bottled craft beers, and select menu items. For full happy hour details, check out La Jolla’s website here.
The OC Mix wine list, which is a collaboration between owners Deb and Phil Brooks and Chef Annie Ortiz, has some unique finds from around the state with fun food pairing suggestions. A few highlights that Chef Annie recommends:
Endive Caesar Bites with Scharffenberger Brut from Anderson Valley (Mendocino County)
Portobello Steak with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes paired with Palmina’s Pinot Grigio (Santa Barbara County)
Crostini with Sundried Tomato Pesto paired with Cochon Syrah (Napa County)
Petite Smoked Pork Won Ton Tacos paired with our Schug Carneros Chardonnay (Sonoma County)
The Mix also offers wines by the glass, bottle and half glass and features special tasting events like the “Taste of 8.” On the 3rd Sunday of each month a tasting of 8 wines is served with a sampler plate of olive oils, vinegar and complimentary cheese and bread. Check out their website here for more details on upcoming events.
Upcoming Event: Paso Robles Olive Festival
August 4th, 2011 by emilydavisAttention olive lovers! We Olive is sponsoring the Paso Robles Olive Festival and we want to see you there! The festival, now in its eighth year, will be held on Saturday, August 20th from 10am to 5pm at Paso Robles Downtown City Park. In addition to all of the delicious olive oil and gourmet foods you can taste, expect a cooking contest, tastings with some of your favorite olive growers, and great music and local art. Admission to the festival is free, and there will be plenty of Paso’s best wines and craft beer to taste for just $15.
I’ll be posting more details about the festival events in the coming week – so check back daily. Directions and contact information can be found by clicking here. Hope to see you there!
People are talking about: We Olive & Wine Bar at the OC Mix
June 25th, 2011 by emilydavisOne of the newest locations in the We Olive family is making quite a splash. Check out the press that our OC store and wine bar is getting! Read all the details on what owners Phil and Debby are serving up here.
Recipe Contest: Cook Something Delicious = Win Great Prizes
June 17th, 2011 by emilydavisOne of the best things about working at We Olive (aside from the ocean view from our La Jolla store’s deck) is exchanging recipe ideas with guests. While our staff is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in using olive oil in their cooking, we often get the best ideas from you. It’s not uncommon to have a guest return to the store to refill their bottle of Fresh Garlic olive oil and share how the garlicky shrimp pasta they whipped up is a new staple in their home. I’ve even overheard guests who are perfect strangers sharing tips with each other while tasting. It’s that sense of community that we thrive on at We Olive, and in that spirit, a contest has been created that will allow you to flaunt your culinary prowess with California Extra Virgin olive oil. You can read up on all the details below, so I can skip right to the good part – the prizes! The big winner will get a culinary tour of the Central Coast including a trip to the 2011 Paso Robles Olive Festival, all kinds of tastings, parties, and even a We Olive shopping spree! The best part is that each of our ten stores will have a finalist, so even if you don’t land the grand prize, you’ll still get a piece of the glory, and an invite to the festival among other treasures.
Ready to enter? First, contestants must “like” We Olive on Facebook to access the contest page. Each contestant may submit one original recipe using only California Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The submitted recipe can be an appetizer, main course, side dish, salad, baked good, candy or dessert. We Olive’s expert judging Panel recommends that each entrant specify the exact extra virgin olive oil name, label or flavor category (delicate, medium or robust). Only persons who are at least 21 years of age can enter. Contest is now live on Facebook and ends on July 24th, 2011 at 12pm (PDT). Enter here!
Feds get picky over what makes oil ‘extra virgin’
June 8th, 2010 by we oliveRead all about this big win for growers and consumers in an Associated Press story appearing everywhere, including Yahoo! News, NPR, USAToday, LATimes, The Huffington Post and CBS News:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in April adopted scientifically verifiable standards for nomenclature such as “virgin” or “extra virgin,” with extra virgin considered the highest quality because it has the best flavor. The standards will take effect on October 25, 2010.
The USDA adopted the federal standards for the grading and labeling of olive oil imported and sold in the U.S. as a response to a petition filed by the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), a trade association of producers responsible for most U.S.-grown olive oil.
According to the COOC, these federal standards will “put an end to marketing terms that are confusing to the consumer, such as light, extra light–language that really doesn’t meant too much,” said Patricia Darragh, executive director of the COOC (Patricia joined us last Sunday at Sunset Celebration Weekend to help educate attendees about the culinary and health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
The regulations also were welcomed by Dean Griggs, whose Tres Osos olive oil won Best in Show in the COOC’s competition this year. ”Now it’ll be a level playing field,” he said. “I’ll still put out the same product, but I won’t have to compete with garbage that’s out there.”
These standards also:
- Provide definitions for any government agency that takes enforcement action against olive oil mislabeling
- Provide buyers with a common language of clearly defined U.S. grades of olive oil
- Notify unscrupulous importers that the U.S. will no longer be a haven for mislabeled low grades of olive oil or other oils claiming to be olive oil
- Raise public awareness of the differences between extra virgin and other grades of olive oil
- Inform the consumer by including taste (organoleptic) as well as chemical testing requirements for olive oil
- Become the foundation on which an infrastructure of grading and testing can be built
To learn more about the COOC, click here. And remember: We Olive sells only the highest quality, authentic extra virgin olive oil that’s certified by the California Olive Oil Council.
Photos from Sunset Celebration Weekend 2010
June 6th, 2010 by we oliveWe’re having a great time sharing samples of some of our finest EVOOs at the Sunset Celebration Weekend, where we’re in two areas:
- The “Savor the Central Coast” courtyard, offering samples to attendees
- The “Savor Marketplace,” where attendees can sample and purchase We Olive and artisan products
We’re pleased to have Patricia Darragh, Executive Director of the California Olive Oil Council (COOC), join us today to help educate attendees about the culinary and health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (top left photo).
For more info on our Sunset presence this weekend and our upcoming appearance at Sunset’s Savor the Central Coast event from September 30-October 3, click here.
If you missed us at Sunset, you can always check into our News and Events page to see where we’re be appearing next.
Thanks to all the attendees and Sunset for making this such a special weekend. We hope to see you again soon.
“Bright and Fresh Flavors of Spring”
April 22nd, 2010 by we oliveHello Again my fellow Olive Oil Lovers!
I apologize for my lack of posts, but we have been VERY busy here at We Olive! However, I am back now, and the plan is to update you more diligently on the fabulous ways in which you can incorporate We Olive’s amazing EVOOs into your every day life!
As the weather here on the Central Coast heats up, I cannot help but to think of all the miraculous ways in which We Olive’s excellent EVOOs and Balsamic Vinegar can be showcased in the outdoor BBQs which are sure to start “springing” up as the weather continues to get warmer and warmer! And of course, as I am thinking of all these great recipes and uses, I just HAD to share them with you!
One of the best ways to enjoy EVOO and Balsamic, is with the abundant amount of giant strawberries that you can find in the farmer’s market or the grocery store this time of year! Just the other day, I was in We Olive’s Paso Robles store, and they were enjoying strawberries bathed in We Olive Mandarin Olive Oil and We Olive Aged Balsamic Vinegar. What a treat! While I knew that strawberries are great with a drizzle of Balsamic, I was not expecting the pairing of the Mandarin and Balsamic to be so light and refreshing!
Take this recipe to the next level by putting your mixture of strawberries, Mandarin EVOO and balsamic, and mixing it with some organic arugula and shaved Pecorrino-Romano for an excellent salad that really allows the flavors of this season to sing!
Want to impress your BBQ guests with a dessert they won’t forget?
Check out this recipe, adapted from Nourished Kitchen, that works incredibly well with We Olive’s line of Blood Orange Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil:
Olive Oil Ice Cream: Ingredients
- 2 blood oranges
- ¾ cup We Olive Blood Orange olive oil
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk, preferably fresh
- 6 egg yolks, beaten
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup Olive U or Braches Honey (available at select We Olive locations)
- 6 to 8 drops orange essential oil
- dash unrefined sea salt
- We Olive Blood Orange Balsamic
Olive Oil Ice Cream: Method
1. Zest the blood oranges and reserve the zest.
2. Tenderly segment the oranges, removing the white pith and tough membranes and reserving the tender, colorful orange flesh. Set aside.
3. Whisk unrefined extra virgin olive oil, heavy cream, whole milk and beaten egg yolks together until thoroughly combined and gently emulsified.
4. Vigorously whisk honey into the milk and egg mixture. If your milk and eggs are very cold, the honey may harden and you may find it challenging to combine it thoroughly with the milk and eggs. If that is the case, you may gently warm the mixture of milk and egg yolks over very low heat which enables the honey to blend more efficiently into the cream, milk and egg yolks.
5. Stir in reserved orange zest, food-grade organic essential oil and sea salt into the honey-sweetened mixture of milk, cream, olive oil and egg yolks.
6. If you’ve warmed the mixture, cool it in the refrigerator until it becomes quite cold – about twenty minutes.
7. Fold reserved blood orange segments into the olive oil ice cream mixture, then freeze it according to your ice cream maker manufacturer’s instructions.
8. Drizzle about 1 teaspoon of We Olive Blood Orange Balsamic Vinegar atop the ice cream, and serve.
YIELD: About 1 ½ quarts olive oil ice cream or about 12 servings.
TIME: 5 to 10 minutes (preparation), 20 to 60 minutes (freezing time, dependent on ice cream maker)
As I mentioned, this dessert is sure to impress anyone!
Let me know how it worked out for you!
Enjoy!
Drew
Vinegar in My Cocktail?! Yes, please!
March 8th, 2010 by we oliveHey all!
Check out this blog post that our friend Todd Wagner of Libaytions in SF, posted about making a cocktail using our delicious raspberry champagne vinegar!
Vinegar…What the Shrub!?!
I made the drink at home myself this weekend, and WOW, what a hit! My guests and myself throuroughly enjoyed the cocktail. It is bright and fresh with complex flavors, and on the first (sort-of) warm weekend in a while, it was a great intro to Spring!
Cheers!
Drew
Olive Oil in Your Everyday Cooking
February 16th, 2010 by we oliveHome | Questions & Feedback |
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