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.

• 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.

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

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

Cardiovascular diseases kill more women than the next five causes of death combined.  The American Heart Association believes taking action through education, research and awareness, will ultimately beat this statistic.

Heart disease is often preventable!   The more thoughtfully you protect your heart, and the earlier you start, the less likely you’ll face the life-threatening challenges of cardiovascular disease.  The best time to take action and get healthy is right now!

We Olive’s locations in San Francisco and Paso Robles will donate 10% of store sales from February 5th through February 28th to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red For Women” campaign.   We Olive believes it can contribute to the goals of the American Heart Association both through monetary contributions as well as through education.   Preventing the onset and development of cardiovascular disease, especially early in life, by utilizing Heart Healthy nutrition is a cornerstone of this effort.  In 2004, the FDA approved a ‘qualified claim’ for olive oil based, in part, on a study that showed consuming 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day may reduce the risk of heart disease.  Subsequent studies indicate the key is using extra virgin olive oil in place of less healthy alternatives.

American Heart Month is an excellent time to try out a more flavorful and healthier way of enjoying food by using artisan produced extra virgin olive oil.  Heart healthy nutrition doesn’t have to be bland and boring!  Visit We Olive and  let us show you how healthy and tasty the path to good health can be!

D. Scott

The goal of this blog is to introduce my readers to the many qualities of olive oil, and the manifold ways in which you can enjoy it at home!

Whether you are cooking with EVOO, starting a new skincare regiment, or going to tour an olive ranch, ‘Olive the Above’ will be proving you with tips on how to do it best!

D. Scott