Don’t underestimate the simpleness of this dish! It is an excellent first course that is easy to prepare and very good for you. It is all cooked in 1 pot (i.e. less to clean up) and the taste is simple, yet satisfying. Not to mention beautiful with all of its green freshness. Perfect for the cold Winter months ahead. If you can boil water, you can make this Sicilian staple!

Note: The most common type of cauliflower here in Sicily is not white, but light green, as you may have noticed in the picture. The taste is very similar to the white cauliflower.

Ingredients:

1 large cauliflower, cut into florets

1 lb linguine or spaghetti pasta, broken to the same length as the florets

Olio Verde Novello

chopped parsley

salt & pepper to taste

grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional)

Instructions:

Boil the florets in 2 quarts of water salted with 1.5 Tablespoons of sea salt. When they are cooked halfway through (about 15 min.), add the pasta, and continue to cook all ingredients until al dente (about 8-10 min. more). Drain the water. Place the boiled pasta and cauliflower in a serving dish and drizzle generously with Olio Verde Novello, while still piping hot to release all of the flavors and aromas of the oil. Sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and fresh chopped parsley to taste and serve immediately. Pass the grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese at the table (if offering). Serves 8 as a first course.

It seems to me that Italy is brimming with local specialty foods. Every area off the boot has a different foodstuff that is unique to and characteristic of a certain specific location, and Sicily is no exception. Avola is famous for its almonds and wine, Ribera for its oranges and strawberries, Bronte for its pistachios…and…Castelvetrano for its olives and olive oil (which you already know) and its pane nero, “black bread”, (which you might not already know).

Sicily, with its ideal climate and soil conditions, has been an important area for wheat cultivation for centuries. In fact, the origins of pane nero date back to the Greek colony of Selinunte (a fraction of Castelvetrano) where it was first made using a blend of durum flour (a whole wheat flour with an especially high protein content) and the flours ground from the local wheat varieties later named Tumminia and Russulidda, which only grow in certain areas around Castelvetrano. Water, salt and a natural yeast known as “lu criscenti” (a piece of fermented dough from the previous batch of bread), which keeps the bread fresh and delicious days longer than most others, comprise the only other ingredients added to make this special bread.

It is baked in a wood burning stone oven traditionally using the wood from the local Nocellara del Belice olive trees. The oven is brought to a scorching 300°C/572°F, and then the flames are extinguished. The baking surface of the oven is then swiped clean of any charcoal using a wet curina broom (made with a particular palm tree fiber), and the bread is introduced into the oven. The bread is cooked slowly, without fire, while the temperature of the oven decreases.

The classic shape of the bread is round and known locally as a “vastedda”. The name most probably comes from the latin vastellum, meaning round bread, but is also the name of a locally made sheep’s cheese known as Vastedda del Belice, which has the same round shape. It has a dark, toasted coffee colored crust that is dusted with sesame seeds and a soft, tan colored center with a mild, sweet flavor and a toasted aroma. It is rich in fiber, zinc, iron, calcium, phosphorous, vitamins B1 and B2 and magnesium.

Today, pane nero is made with the same ingredients and in the same manner as it always has been, giving it the same slightly sweet, toasty taste that has been enjoyed here for centuries. Whole grains are the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet and should be enjoyed eveyday. One of my favorite ways is for my morning toast with a veil of homemade jam or local honey. I have also found that it makes a particularly interesting addition to a cheese platter, going very well with not only the cheeses, but also the fruits, nuts and other accompaniments. The hearty pane nero also lends itself beautifully to any savory dish,  and can be served at any meal, as it is often here in Castelvetrano. In fact, it is the bread of choice for making the delicious Sicilian pani cunzatu, “seasoned bread”. Or, for all you minimalists out there, you could just simply dunk warms chunks of pane nero in Olio Verde Novello. The sweetness of the bread and the spiciness of the freshly pressed oil…need I say more??? – AM

Chekoch.de FORUM aus Deutschland (2006-2010)
Hallo, wer kann mir ein sehr gutes Olivenöl empfehlen?
Vom 12.02.2006 17:07

Ich suche ein aromatisches sehr gutes Olivenöl, wer kann mir da helfen?
Gency

Vom 27.03.2006 23:29

Olio verde von Becchina (gibt’s in der Frankfurter Markthalle beim Italiener , ca. 25 € pro Flasche)
Molini di Valdolce oder so ähnlich, im Handel (Real, Metro etc.), ca. 14 €.
Viele Grüße, sind beide sehr gut,
Mauti

Alberto’s Fisch
Vom 29.04.2006 23:22

Lieber Alberto,
nein, hier nicht, es ist ein urdeutsches Omi-Rezept! Da kommt auch kein bisschen Essig dran oder Zitrone, nix, puristisch, Konsistenzänderung als Kick und gute, solide Grundwürze Salz, Pfeffer, Zwiebel, der Hauch Zucker.
Wir líeben Olivenöl an vielen Dingen, aber nur sehr, sehr gutes (Favorit: Olio verde von Becchina, 500 ml für ca. 25 € *seufz*, aber sowas von ausgewogen und nicht penetrant aromatisch, ein Traum! Zum pur ein Löffelchen zu Weißbrot essen… ). Markthalle Frankfurt / Main beim Italiener oben oder beim (kleinen) Erzeuger selbst…
Oder stell dir mal Olivenöl an asiatischen Gerichten vor, nein, da bleib ich beim Erdnussöl, mal einem kleinen Löffelchen Sesamöl, wie ich manche Sachen nur mit Distelöl brate und an manchem Blattsalat Rapsöl bevorzuge. Ein gutes Nussöl gibt hier und da den Pfiff… Sogar Sonnenblumenöl hat seinen Einsatz. Oder Leinöl, in einer Landschaft namens Lausitz sehr gern angenommen. Nur Trüffel-Öl verachte ich zutiefst, man, schmeckt das bäh!
Liebe Grüße, Mauti

Von: Becchina
am: 21.11.2010 09:41

Besten Dank, sehr geehrte Mauti, fuer Ihr Kommentar.
Wir von der Becchina Famile freuen uns sehr zu erfahren, dass Sie unser Olio Verde gerne weiterempfehlen. Wir moechten uns herzlichst dafuer bedanken, und Sie einladen, unsere neue Webpage zu besuchen: www.olioverde.it. Unsere 2010 Ernte ist gerade vorbei und das frischgepresesste Olivenoel ist schon in der halben Welt vertrieben worden! Sollte auch bald beim Herrn Franco Belvedere in Frankfurt (der Italiener auf der Galerie in der Kleinmarkthalle) ankommen. Sollte Sie und Ihre Familie uebrigens eines Tages nach Sizilien reisen wollen, muessen Sie uns auf jeden Fall besuchen…
Besten Dank nochmals und viel Spass beim Kochen weiterhin mit Olio Verde.
Freundliche Gruesse,
Gabriella Becchina begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Von: Mauti
am: 27.11.2010 10:48

Herzlichen Dank für diese nette Post!
Ja, wir lieben Ihr Öl wirklich sehr.
Dabei haben wir zum Beispiel auch an Verkostungen der Organisation Slowfood teilgenommen (wo es das Becchina-Öl leider nicht gab) und keines gefunden, welches uns so gut schmeckt.
Sie machen eine tolle Qualitätsarbeit und haben offenbar wunderbare Böden und Pflanzen!
Inzwischen ließen wir uns das Öl auch von Herrn Cammaroto aus Lauf (Mundi-Weine) liefern.
Die Webseite haben wir uns abgespeichert,
vielen Dank,
beste Grüße nach Sizilien,
Fam. Dr. Löffler aus Hannover

Von: Becchina
am: 27.11.2010 15:44

Liebe Fam. Loeffler,
Wunderbar – besten Dank fuer die Infos!
Freundlich Gruesse aus Sizilien,
Gabriella Becchina begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Here in Italy, olive oil is used in the kitchen every day, and not just because it is so readily available. It just happens to be a versatile, healthy choice that lends itself to any recipe and any cooking technique. Some of its uses are more obvious, like using it to dress a salad, while others are not so much, at least not to me. When I moved here from the U.S., for example, I immediately noticed how people here would drizzle freshly pressed olive oil over their piping hot soups and stews as a finishing touch before digging in. I had never seen that done before and I was so intrigued by the idea of taking so much care in the preparation and layers of flavor with your everyday bowl of soup! The first time I tried it was a revelation, the fresh and pungent oil hitting the hot food opens up a bouquet of flavors and aromas that turns something already delicious into something sublime. Olive oil can be used every day as anything from the star ingredient to a supporting role.

Olio Verde Novello is the best oil for drizzling over hot foods, be it soup, freshly grilled meat, fish or vegetables, even pizza! It is also the best choice for salad dressing like you’ve never tasted it before and is perfect as the base for a delicious dip for crudités. A similar appetizer, known here in Italy as “pinzimonio”, consists of a platter of fresh, thinly sliced seasonal vegetables drizzled with Olio Verde Novello and sprinkled with sea salt. (Those of you who are familiar with the Roman “puntarelle” salad, and are able to locate this endive-like vegetable called “catalogna” in Italian, at the farmer’s market, will agree that this is one of the best Italian pinzimonio recipe traditions).

Another excellent recipe used very frequently here in Castelvetrano is “pani cunzato”, or “seasoned bread”. It is usually made with the city’s exclusive “pane nero”, “black bread”, but any type of crusty, hearty bread will do just fine! Buy a round loaf of about 1 pound and warm it in the oven, whole. Then remove it, slice it in half lengthwise and plate it. Scatter 2 cloves of chopped garlic, 3-5 diced cherry tomatoes (seeds removed) and ½ cup of young (as in, not aged) sheep’s cheese (we like pecorino primo sale) on top of the warm bread. Add a few anchovy filets (either crushed and added into the oil, then drizzled, like Caesar salad, or cut into bits and scattered or just left whole for those who aren’t afraid…of the anchovy), a very generous drizzle of Olio Verde Novello, a sprinkle of fine sea salt, a few turns of fresh cracked black pepper and a dusting of fresh oregano (not some nameless, dry, grey, old, almost scentless oregano – Sicilian oregano from a Sicilian producer is always best). Press the two halves together like a sandwich and voilà! Give it a try and then write us and let us know what you think!

Classic Olio Verde is perfect for anything. Use it as the main ingredient in a marinade and  for basting or coat the bottom of your pan with it for braising or sautéing. Don’t be afraid to fry with it either! High quality extra virgin olive oil is very stable when heated. It has a high smoke point (around 400°F/204°C), which is well above the ideal temperature for frying (356°F/180°C). The digestibility of olive oil is not affected when heated, even when it is re-used several times for frying (although the Becchinas prefer to use fresh oil each time). Again, we are talking about high quality extra virgin olive oil. The variety of the olive, growing conditions, how the oil was produced and how the oil is stored all play a role in the oil’s smoke point. For example, oxidation due to exposure to light, heat or air will lower an olive oil’s smoke point…just another reason to follow the “store in a cool, dark place in an airtight glass or stainless steel container” suggestion!

Olio Verde is also excellent for baking. Once baked, the rich and pungent olive taste  of the oil mellows and blends with the other ingredients. All that is left to remind you that you used olive oil in your baked goods is the incredible moistness that it gives. It has also been used as a key ingredient in a certain famous Swiss chef’s signature chocolate mousse recipe!

When you are thinking of how to use Olio Verde al Limone, just think of any recipe where you would use olive oil and lemon juice or zest, since its loaded with the essential oils from hundreds of untreated lemon peels. It is ideal for salad dressings, marinades, basting and drizzling. It goes exceptionally well with beans and legumes, whether drizzled onto cooked lentils or bean soup, or used to enhance fava bean and chick pea purees (hummus anyone?). My personal favorite is a white bean dip that combines cooked cannellini beans, chopped garlic and parsley, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper and olive oil. Using Olio Verde al Limone is a way of layering and blending the flavors, giving delicious results. Green, leafy vegetables like swiss chard and spinach are at their best when sauteed in olive oil and chopped garlic and then finished with a thin drizzle of this oil. As one can well imagine, fresh, high quality fish also hugely benefits from Olio Verde al Limone. Not at all overpowering, Olio Verde al Limone is subtle, allowing for the perfect flavor combinations. It also adds an amazing depth of flavor and moistness to our signature citrus pound cake!

Here are a few of our Olio Verde with Lemon signature dishes:

-          drizzled over plain pasta with slivers of moist mullet bottarga and strips of bufala mozzarella, with a very light dusting of freshly chopped parsley and young celery leaves to finish;

-          a pasta condiment combining sheep’s milk ricotta, green fava or lima beans, a sprinkle of chopped Sicilian wild fennel leaves, a few skewered whole garlic cloves quickly swirled through, just for a very light hint of flavor, and a good amount of ground black pepper (+ a few slices of steamed, Italian baby artichoke hearts in that mix does very well too for those who want a “bigger” effect);

-          drizzled into a pan midway while searing a cleaned cod / monkfish / sea bass filet with thinly sliced potatoes and green asparagus, sea salt, a fresh/frozen/dry piece of medium-hot hornet chilli: It all gets put into a searing hot pan at the same time, with classic OV, at high heat to start for about 2 minutes without tossing any of the ingredients. Then, lower the heat and cover the pan. Turn everything once after 10 minutes, add OV Lemone and allow for 10 more minutes and it’s ready to serve.

These are just some basic ideas for the many uses of Olio Verde. We have  plenty more ideas and recipes and we’ll keep them coming. Here’s another: our quirky accountant swears that taking a spoonful of olive oil before a night of drinking will keep you from, ahem, becoming intoxicated…but we personally can’t vouch for that one!   - AM

It’s official, this year’s olive harvest and pressing is a success! We just sent out our first Olio Verde Novello bottles to our U.S. distributor, Manicaretti, last week and we received the following note from them this morning:

“This year’s oil is gorgeous, smells of lemon, hints of artichoke, green tea, mint and fresh mown grass, buttery, wonderful. Gianfranco, you have a winning oil once again!”

What a wonderful way to start the day!

For the Dough

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tbl instant yeast
1 1/2 Tbl salt
4 lg eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup Olio Verde (not Novello)
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

For the Filling

Nutella spread

roasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

For the Egg Wash

1 egg + 1T water

Note: This recipe makes enough for 2 loaves. Since this bread goes so fast and is best the day it is baked, I usually split the dough in half, making one  and leaving the other half  in the fridge to make the next day or so when the other has already been gobbled up!

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the eggs, water, honey, olive oil, yeast and salt and stir on low to combine. Change the paddle attachment to the dough hook attachment, turn the machine on low again and gradually add in the flour. Stir until you do not see any more dry bits of flour. Cover (not airtight) and stick it in the refrigerator overnight, or up to 4 days. The longer you let it rise in the refrigerator, the better tasting the dough will be. However, if you need the dough sooner, you can let it rise for 2 hours on your kitchen the counter.  The dough will still be good, but definitely not as good as if you had let it sit 1-4 days in the refrigerator.

Once the dough has risen sufficiently, take it out of the fridge, turn it out onto a floured board and form it into a ball. Cut the ball in half with a dough scraper and either put one half back into the fridge for another time, or make both loaves the following way:

Generously flour the dough and your hands and knead it for a few minutes. Use the palm of your hands to roll the dough into a thick, even log. Cut the dough into 3 equal pieces using a dough scraper (it is easier to get even pieces when the dough isn’t round). Now roll each piece with your hands to stretch it into a long 1 1/2 inch thick rope. The easiest way to do this is to place the dough on the counter and roll back and forth with the palms of your hands, starting in the middle and working outwards.

At this point you could either braid the 3 ropes together and continue the process to make plain challah bread, or you could fill each braid with your favorite spread (I chose Nutella) and turn it into something sweet! To do this, create an indent in each dough rope using the side of your hand. Slather each indent with a fair amount of Nutella (you have to eyeball it, not enough Nutella and you’ll wish you’d added more, but too much and it will be hard to close the dough around it, making it seep out in the oven) and bring up the sides of the dough, encasing the Nutella, and pinch it shut. Don’t worry if its messy, it doesn’t have to be perfect!

Next, connect the three ropes of dough at one end and braid. Pinch the ends and tuck them under. Transfer (carefully!) the braided loaf onto the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash using a pastry brush. Cover with a clean towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350°F 20 minutes before the rising time is over.

When it’s time to bake, uncover the dough, brush with the egg wash again, and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts. Place in the oven, on the center rack, and bake for 25 minutes. Let the bread cool for 10 minutes and then tranfer to a wire rack to continue cooling (the moisture it releases gathers underneath and could make the bread soggy). Let it cool another 20 minutes before cutting. Technically, this bread should be good for about 2 days if you store it covered, but it NEVER lasts that long!

So there you have it! It may sound complicated, but all it really takes is some time organization. If you know when you want to make it, just make the dough a day or two in advance! It’s definitely worth it! It’s not too sweet, so it’s great for breakfast, or as an afternoon snack, although it may be too much as a dessert after a meal, it is a bread after all!

Obviously, you could fill the dough with any jam or spread and cover with any one kind or variety of toasted chopped nuts. Apple butter and chopped walnuts? Raspberry jam and chopped almonds? Another ridiculously delicious alternative is to fill the bread with Gabriella’s selected Alicos Pistachio Cream spread (available soon at www.keytosicily.com) and top with roasted chopped pistachios! It’s amazing!

Braised Rabbit

Ingredients:

• 1 young rabbit (no more than 2.5 lbs)
• 4 whole canned tomatoes
• Olio Verde (not Novello)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots cut into rounds
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• Black peppercorns
• Dried oregano
• ¾ ounce salt packed capers, rinsed
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Salt to taste

Note:

The rabbit should be cut into the following pieces:

1.      Head and neck

2.      2 hind legs, separated

3.      2 front legs, separated

4.      The bottom half of the rabbit, divided into 3 pieces

5.      The top half of the rabbit, divided into 3 pieces

6.      The liver and the heart (Gianfranco doesn’t use lungs)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 480°F. Chop the tomatoes and set aside.

Cover the bottom of a Dutch oven with Olio Verde olive oil (preferably from last year’s harvest).

Place the rabbit pieces into the pot and add the garlic cloves, chopped onion, carrot rounds, chopped celery, capers, a generous sprinkling of both black peppercorns and oregano, the bay leaf and salt to taste.

Place the pot into the oven and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

At this point, stir the ingredients add white wine and let it evaporate.

Once evaporated, add the chopped tomatoes, stir again, cover the pot and let cook in the oven for 45 minutes.

Note:

The type of rabbit will affect the amount of liquid released during the cooking. A wild rabbit will release less liquid, while a farm raised rabbit will release more. It is important that the rabbit remain rather dry during the cooking process, so if the rabbit releases a lot of liquid, one should avoid adding water. One the other hand, one should add a few tablespoons of water if the rabbit does not release enough liquid and is too dry. Check on the liquid halfway through the cooking time.

If the rabbit is too dry, one could also slightly reduce the oven temperature (355-375°F), or if too moist, remove some of the liquid released.

Coniglio in Cocotte

Ingredienti:

• 1 giovane coniglio (dal peso non superiore a kg 1,2)
• 4 pomidoro interi pelati
• Olio Verde (non Novello)
• 4 spicchi di aglio
• 1 cipolla media, affettata non molto finemente
• 2 carote tagliate a rondelle
• 1 foglia di alloro
• 1 gambo di sedano, tagliato fine
• una generosa presa di pepe nero in grani
• una manciata di origano
• circa 20 grammi di capperi, dissalati
• 1 cup dry white wine
• Sale quanto basta

Nota:

Sezionare, o far sezionare dal macellaio, il coniglio nel modo seguente:

1.      Testa e collo (a chi piace e non è impressionabile)

2.      2 spalle, separate (diciamo che si tratta delle cosce anteriori)

3.      2 cosce posteriori, separated

4.      Parte inferiore della carcassa (quella ricca di polpa), divisa in 3 pezzi

5.      Parte superiore della carcassa anch’essa, divisa in 3 pezzi

6.      Fegato e cuore (personalmente Gianfranco non utilizza il polmone)

Preparazione:

Portare il forno a 250°C e predisporre la polpa dei pomidoro (servirà al momento opportune).

Coprire il fondo della Cocotte con Olio Verde preferibilmente non freschissimo (va molto bene quello prodotto l’anno precedente).

Deporre nella Cocotte tutte le parti del coniglio precedentemente sezionato, aggiungere gli spicchi d’aglio, la cipolla, il pepe, le carote, l’alloro, il sedano, l’origano, i capperi e il sale.

Lasciar rosolare nel forno ben caldo per circa 10 minuti senza coperchio.

Rimestare e bagnare con un bicchiere di vino bianco secco e lasciar evaporare.

Aggiungere il pomidoro, rimestare, mettere il coperchio e lasciar cuocere nel forno per circa 40-45 minuti.

Nota:

E’ importante che il coniglio nella cottura rimanga piuttosto asciutto, nel caso deponesse molto liquido si eviterà ogni aggiunta di acqua. Aggiunta necessaria (qualche cucchiaio) se, al contrario, si asciugasse troppo in fase di cottura. E’ quindi necessario fare una verifica a metà cottura.

Nel caso si presenti troppo asciutto si può optare per la riduzione della stessa temperatura del forno (180°-190°C). Nel caso contrario si può togliere si può togliere il liquido in eccesso nel corso della cottura. Questa incertezza è dovuta al fatto che se il coniglio è selvatico depone poco liquido, se invece è di allevamento depone abbondante liquido.

Now here’s a new use of Olio Verde Novello olive oil for the uninitiated…

Shortly before leaving NYC, where I spent the better part of a decade from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, I met Geoffrey Holder, the most encouraging, supportive, positive man I ever met. Those of you who either watched late 1960s – early 1970s James Bond movies (with Roger Moore), or lived in the US and saw TV ads for 7Up or un-cola, or enjoyed ballet throughout the 1950s and 1960s, would know who he is. Also those who currently shop at Dean & Deluca’s first location, at the corner of Prince and Broadway in Manhattan, or who dine at Balthazar, would be familiar with the intriguing sight of tall, handsome, elegant Geoffrey.

It was but natural that I would rush over to Geoffrey Holder with a fresh bottle of Olio Verde’s new harvest (2002, 2003, 2004) as soon as it hit the American shore. And one day, as I was looking at one of Geoffrey’s  almost finished paintings, up in his studio in SoHo, realizing how good it was, how it possessed all the bottled-up energy, broad warmth, intense mystery, depth and SOUL which Geoffrey’d convey to you even during simple chit-chat, for instance, over rum-and-lemon soda, it hit me. I had never seen our Olio Verde bottle in his kitchen. Easy enough not to miss, given the kitchen was practically an extension of the main studio space. Furthermore, there were plenty of occasions to ascertain this: one would try and save Geoffrey the trip to the kitchen by fetching a couple of glasses oneself, for the drinks Geoffrey never failed to offer when you visited.

Long story short, or short story long, depending on the point of view, Geoffrey explained to me they, in the family, had found that never had a product worked so well for their skin and hair as our Olio Verde olive oil!  It wasn’t in the kitchen I should look for it, but by the bathroom mirror. And this brought back a long-lost memory: I used to put it in my hair to go to kindergarten all the way into second grade. Except, I was little, had no clue about beauty routine, and didn’t wash it off (you’re supposed to rub and leave it in for a few hours only, then rinse). Nobody ever said a word to me about it either, thankfully, thus preserving my ego. Hey, you open-minded ex-school mates out there, remember, that weird-smelling kid back then? That was me, oh yes. And know what, eating and slathering on that outstanding olive oil made me pretty, self-confident, big-hearted and healthy… now did it make me as artistic, smart and talented as Geoffrey, that I doubt.

Here is a piece of Geoffrey’s genius for you all to enjoy!

- GaB

From: w.u.

To: Gianfranco Becchina

Sent: Saturday, November 06, 2010 8:25 PM

Subject: Warensendung angekommen

Sehr geehrter Signore Gianfranco,

heute war ein bedeutender Tag, ein Tag mit einem großen Ereignis. Wir erhielten das Paket mit dem bestellten Olio Verde.

Da die Verpackung perfekt war, ist alles heil angekommen. Vielen Dank!

Sofort kam wieder die Sehnsucht nach Sizilien und der Besuch bei Ihnen in unsere Gedanken.

Täglich schauen wir in die wieder funktionierende Homepage von Olio Verde und sehen beim Betrachten der Webcamfotos das grüne Gold fließen.

[…]

Wir bedanken uns nochmals recht herzlich und wünschen Ihnen alles Gute.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Werner und Ulla Uhlig

Just the other day, I was talking on the phone with my friend Toni back home in the U.S., telling her about all that had been going on here this past month with the harvest and pressing. Since she has little knowledge about olive oil, I took her (seemingly) simple question on how to tell if an olive oil is high quality or not, as an invitation to go into my usual spiel on olive oil and Olio Verde in particular. I went on and on until I got to the part about how special our Nocellara del Belice olives are…so plump and green, good for both eating and pressing, with their D.O.P. status, and….. My blabber was interrupted by ”What the heck does D.O.P. mean?” I laughed at her frankness and explained it to her and didn’t think more about it until later that night as the day’s events re-played in my head. That’s when it hit me: of course Toni didn’t know what D.O.P. stood for, after all, it’s an acronym for the Italian Denominazione di Origine Protetta. In English, it would be P.D.O., or Protected Designation of Origin…but even then, only total foodies (like yours truly) would bother with things like that! If Toni didn’t know what D.O.P. stands for, then my guess was that many readers do not either. Sure, one could easily do an internet search and get the answer, but I would still like to clarify what “the heck” we are writing about.

D.O.P is a product label that was established by the European Union in 1992 to protect the names of regional foods. This designation is meant to keep producers of regional products safe from unfair competition and also to avoid the possibility of producers misleading customers by trying to pass off their non-genuine products (which may be of inferior quality or have a different flavor than the genuine ones) under a prestigious label.

The notion of PDO emphasizes the importance of using raw materials and production methods (think: “recipes”) from a certain region as a measure of authenticity. The European Union has bilateral agreements with some countries  that help enforce these laws. The U.S., however, is not one of them, which is why, for example, you can find certain brands (which will remain unnamed for ethic’s sake) which offer what they like to call ”parmesan” even though you and I both know that their product is light years away from the real thing! Because the U.S. does not prohibit the use of that name for something so different from real parmesan, you have hundreds of products on the market labeled as such, but that have nothing in common whatsoever. Here in Italy, no cheese is allowed to call itself “parmigiano”, unless it is produced in certain designated areas of Emilia Romagna, using a certain procedure with the milk from certain cows. The same goes for every D.O.P. product.

The Nocellara olive, with its particularly crunchy flesh, growing and harvesting techniques, and its curing and pressing style, is so unique that the European government acknowledged its typicity, both as an eating olive (cured) and as olive oil (pressed), with a double D.O.P. Needless to say, it’s not easy to get such a recognition from the Italian government! Proof that Olio Verde is DOUBLY one of a kind, first for its original, take-no-prisoners Becchina-branded production style, then for the uniqueness of its ingredient!

Remember, no oil can claim to be made from Nocellara del Belice olives, unless it comes from Nocellara del Belice olives grown in the Valle del Belice: Castelvetrano (which includes Selinunte), Campobello di Mazara, Gibellina, Santa Ninfa, Partanna, plus another 9 surrounding villages. Even if you took a Nocellara del Belice olive tree and transplanted it to another part of Sicily, it could no longer be called “Nocellara del Belice” because it is outside of the designated area!   – AM