Olive oil—the next big thing...

From Panettone to Fruitcake to Panforte and all things chocolate, this food holiday is the best. Well, at least certainly when we are in it like we are right now!

The shop is filled to the brim with wonderful treats that we only see once a year, wrapped in their festive outfits! What a wonderful joy it brings to us all!

Even if you are a savory and not a sweet person, there is still romance in the air for you (and everyone else).

And with this I mean, tis the season for Olio Nuovo!

They are here! All spiced up and ready to drizzle!

As I sit at the dining room table, I stare at 6 new oils, all still wrapped up, with their corks waiting to be popped, and me drooling with anticipation (and no I am not literally drooling, it's just words) at what explosive flavors of fun awaits from this year's crop.

It will be a great tasting! The past few years the oils have been a bit mellower or milder compared to previous harvests and I expect this one will be a great one!

I have a long list of food "events" that I would love to see some day, and the harvest of the oil in Italy is at the top of my list. I have the romantic vision of a long table that stretches as far as the eye can see covered in bread and pasta drenched in the newly harvested oils and the entire town coming together, just like in the movies.

Olio nuovo (new oil), olio Novello (oil that is young)

A tradition that dates back thousands of years:

The celebration of the harvest of the olive oil has a long history for practical reasons and today it represents a way that we can connect to our human past and have a positive moment as we head towards the future.

The lantern that lasts:

Perhaps the most famous story of olive oil is not a food story, it is a story about light. It was a newly harvested oil in a cruse, a small earthen jar or pot, that was lit and miraculously lasted not one day as expected, but burned for eight.

These eight days of Hanukkah represent the eight days the oil lasted, and the lighting of the menorah each night commemorates this miracle.

Perhaps it is the principal molecule responsible for this pharyngeal pungency in extra-virgin olio nuovo, the phenolic compound (—)-oleocanthal (OC) [(—)-deacetoxy-dialdehydic ligstroside aglycone], that allowed the oil to burn longer than expected.

As history shows us that no matter the country or religion, we share the love of olive oil and its importance to shaping us as humans. Today the harvest is still blessed by the priest, and revered in its importance to culture.

Though we may be far away from these roots, we join the Olio Novello harvest with these oils! What great fun to have just pressed, vibrant, bright, sharp, peppery, flavorful oil this time of year! A wonderful and rewarding contrast to all the sweet things that come our way.

I will open all the oils over the next few days and share my tasting notes with you below.

Please remember that Olio Nuovo is bottled right after pressing, allowing for some of the pressing of the olives, the sediment, to remain in the bottle. This is normal and doing so is how the bright and sharp flavors come out and jump at you.

This sediment can also, eventually turn the oil bitter, so it is best to use the oil liberally and often to get the most and biggest experience!

Limited supply for all the oils. The next bottling will be well into January to allow the sediment to naturally fall out of the oil.

And just a note. Each oil is tasted individually and the emotions that come from the smell just after opening, the first dip of the tongue, the first big sip, are directly related to that particular oil. So if the words that are used to convey the excitement for one oil compared to another sound the same, it is just because that is how that individual oil came across. We don't pick favorites as olive oil is a very personal thing.

See all the New Oils Here!

Click Here To See Everything Featured in This Newsletter!

Bruschetta is a classic Italian antipasti, and it's about as simple and delicious as you can imagine.

Fresh bread, Olio Nuovo and flaky sea salt is one of life's most glorious moments! Very few things in life this simple can make you and your mouth this happy!

See the Easy Classic Bruschetta Recipe here!

Tasting notes:

To the nose, it's a pure fresh olive oil with a twinge of freshness, banana and lots and lots of smell.

To the eye, a nice light yellow green.

To the sip, if you keep the oil elevated and dancing in the front of your mouth, you can get a lot of the flavors that are hidden away, but once you squeeze the oil to swallow that hint you felt at first and a potential tickle is definitely there.

There's a buttery feel initially, but as soon as you squeeze it and move it to the back of your mouth, there's a lot of bitterness on the edges, but not sharp or harsh, more round as the oil finishes strong with lots of flavor on the lips and the banana present.

The tickle in the back of the throat is wide, not sharp or pin pointy.

If you wait a little bit, your lips might tingle a little from the oil that remains. It's a pretty interesting oil.

You get used to the bitterness as it spreads out as you cough. Your nostrils might feel a little tingle, too. It's a pretty fun oil for sure!

Shop now for Olive Truck Tuscan Blend Olio Nuovo!

To the nose, not much comes out of the bottle.

To the eye, it's a very light yellow-green.

To the tongue, the initial flavor is very mellow, a soft pitter-patter across the tongue with a nice buttery feel.

To the sip, there's a hint of artichoke, but not really dominant. There's definitely a tingle in the back of the throat which is quite pleasant.

In the end, it leaves a very tingly sensation across the tongue, which is a reward, knowing that you just had a new olive oil.

Full of flavor, this 100% Frantoio olive oil is delicious.

Shop now for Frantoio Grove Olio Nuovo!

Don't be fooled by the diminutive size of this can. This can of olive oil is 500 mL just like all those much taller glass bottles.

From a practical standpoint, I like this can. Remove the plastic ring, then pull up and you get a little spout which works perfectly. If you have a small apartment or a yacht, this is the right size can for you.

To the nose, you can smell the ripe olives inside.

To the eyes, it's a rich, yellow olive green.

To the tip of the tongue, there's lots of flavor and taste: artichoke, banana, a classic taste of a full-bodied olive oil. It is a very inviting olive oil.

The first sip emphasizes the same flavors, but comes across rounder and in some ways fuller.

There is an ever light presence of pepper in the back of the throat. The pepper is a very broad point with the classic bitterness on the edge of the tongue. The sharpness is more muted than usual.

Very nicely rounded oil—very, very enjoyable.

It has a very nice finish that warms your chest!

Shop now for Fattoria di Petroio Tuscan Olive Oil!

To the nose, green grassy, wonderfully pleasant it just jumps out of the bottle.

To the eye, a beautiful, dark yellow green with dark accents, black accents, dark green accents! Like it is alive!

To the tongue, a tickle, and then the vapor moves to the back of the throat and you know it's gonna have some bite.

A lot of notes, the oil dissipates quickly off the tongue climbing into a vapor like all the oil this year.

It is very delicate, and it appears to be complex.

To the sip, it's like there's two layers to this oil. One an oil and two a vapor. Together all at once it floats around in your mouth taking its time. And then when it gets to the back of the throat, it's a gentle cough, one you cannot resist.

It coats your lips nicely. You savor all the flavor while smacking your lips to enjoy all the flavor.

The bitterness on the edge of the tongue is very mild this year. I quite like it this way because the oil has so much personality. The depth, the flavor, with lots of punch yet not too peppery.

What an absolutely enjoyable oil!

Shop now for Spedalotto Tonda Iblea Sicilian Olive Oil - Nuovo!

To the nose, it's distinctly different from all the other oils. And I can't identify what I'm smelling.

To the eye, it is an unbelievably dark green color with the edges of the spoon it appears to be yellow, but probably it is an eye trick and is just a lighter green. Wow it is vibrant!

To the tongue, it's all Olive and after it dissipates, there's a recognizable flavor, but hard to discern or identify. I think it is banana squash. The second dip of the tongue is different where it's a little bit olive and then squash.

Even a small dip of the tongue is creating a cough in the back of the throat.

If there's an oil that's going to make you clear your throat involuntarily it will be this one.

To the sip, you don't taste anything and it's kind of weird when it finishes. There's banana squash and a bunch of pepper in the back of the throat.

With a less aggressive sip and letting it flow through, the hint of all is there, the banana is definitely present. The edges of your tongue feel like they're swelling a little bit and you're constantly tasting trying to understand what's there.

Wow, it is complex.

This oil packs flavor and a punch of uniqueness. If there's an oil to sip by itself, plain and simple, this is definitely the one.

Crazy Good!

Remember this oil is a sipping oil, full of vim and vigor. This is a very rare olive oil. Packed with phenolic compounds that are rarely found at these levels in the olive oils in the world.

If you are curious click the link below to read more about this amazing oil.

Shop now for Laconiko High Phenolic Zoi Olive Oil!

This recipe is inspired by celebrating freshly-pressed olive oil. Make pasta, pour a bottle of olive oil over it and toss and share!

If you don't have a table set up in your olive orchard, or 25 people to share with, consider this:

Cook your pasta al dente—you want your bite to have a little chew, and liberally drizzle the oil over the pasta. Then crumble a nice flake salt over everything, and you will see how the oil you have chosen sings and will tell you a compelling story.

This is a wonderful way to feature great ingredients, because each, from the pasta to the oil to the salt, will shine in the spotlight on the plate! Simple is glorious!

And you can toss a few capers in to create a nice visual, remember that the hero here is the just pressed olive oil!

See the Basic Pasta with Olive Oil Recipe here!

With a pinch of Murray River Pink Salt you get a bunch of flavor that is fun!

This flaky Murray River Pink salt has a wonderful gentle color of a pink flamingo for a nice look with an easy delicate crunch for an excellent bite!

Murray River Salt is from the ancient saline aquifers in the Murray Darling Basin. The mineralized brines add a special quality to this delicious salt and makes the salt high in magnesium, calcium, potassium and iodine.

It is a wonderful salt to hold in the palm of your hand.

Pinch and sprinkle a little today.

Do you need less salt in your life? Then try salting at the table with just a pinch just before you put a fork (or spoon) in it.

Shop now for Murray River Pink Salt - 250 gram box here!

Shop now for Murray River Pink Salt - 50 gram bag here!

It is an interesting exercise to taste common salt alongside Maldon Sea Salt Flakes. The common salt sits uncomfortably on the tongue and has an underlying bitterness. This English sea salt is milder, has the flavor of sea spray, and is free from the chemical tang of common salt.

Unlike most salts containing additives to stop them caking in damp weather, Maldon Salt is a completely natural product, retaining valuable seawater trace-elements.

Salt has always played an important role in the everyday life of humans for both flavoring and preserving their food.

The offering of salt became a symbol of friendship and trust. Describing someone as "salt of the earth" or "worth their salt" shows the respect with which this magical white substance is held. The word "salary" comes from the Latin "salarium" when Roman soldiers received part of their pay to buy salt.

The English coastal town of Maldon, Essex, has been the center of a salt-producing area since the Middle Ages, although legend has it that the secret of salt-making from seawater was discovered here over 2,000 years ago when the Romans ruled Britain.

The Maldon Crystal Salt Company is still a small family company operating from a riverside site it has occupied for more than a hundred years. They continue to develop the traditional saltmaker's craft to produce the soft white flaky English sea salt unique to this area.

The attraction of Maldon for salt-making remains the same today as it did hundreds of years ago. The combination of low rainfall, strong winds, bright sunshine, and low-lying marshland produces good salty water. Early salt-making was carried out by boiling seawater caught in shallow pools set in the marshland over wood fires. These fires, in turn, acted as beacons for the local fishing fleets making their way up the coast.

Today, the manufacture of Maldon Sea Salt still relies on the favorable conditions that have enabled the salt industry to develop and flourish here for many centuries. The Maldon Crystal Salt Company's success is due to the production of a unique high-quality sea salt using traditional methods.

The pyramid-shaped salt crystals, characteristic of Maldon Salt, are fragile enough to crumble easily between the fingers and have a totally different taste from the regular grains of table salt. Try this Maldon finishing salt today!

Shop now for Maldon Sea Salt Flakes!

A long pasta is a delight! And when it is simply dressed with olio nuovo and a flaky sea salt along with a caper or two, it is one of life's best simplest pleasures!

Shop now for Bigoli Nobili Mori Spaghetti Pasta - Sgambaro!

Recca capers are grown on the island of Pantelleria and preserved in native sea salt by Agostino Recca. The island of Pantelleria is 70 km away from Africa and 85 km from Sicily. It is considered by many culinary aficionados as the ultimate source for capers.

These are small "non-pareil" Pantescan capers, full of flavor. Being preserved in sea salt means that none of the aromatic flavor has been lost. These Agostino Recca non-pareil Pantescan capers are a fabulous find indeed!

Shop now for Recca Pantescan Salted Capers - Non-Pareil!

This is a variation of a recipe from Deborah Madison's cookbook, Local Flavors - Cooking and Eating from America's Farmers Markets. This is my favorite Debrorah Madison Cookbook. An essential cookbook for every library!

The original recipe calls for traditional Dijon mustard, but we have tried it using every Edmond Fallot Mustard we have and it is always absolutely fabulous.

It's good on all green veggies, just be sure to let the butter melt on the cooked vegetables right before serving.

Easy and success is all but guaranteed!

See the Brussels Sprouts with Caper Mustard Butter Recipe here!

Like the way gummy worms want to be—sweet, delicious, with the perfect amount of chewiness, as in not too much. Sweet like fruit can be and with no clingy, teeth-grabbing pain that fake sugar imparts.

These amazing Natural Preserved Plums, Ameixa d'Elvas DOP, are the oldest sweets from the Alto Alentejo region in Portugal. The process, adapted from the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Consolacao in Elvas, involves cooking in copper pots, resting for at least 24 hours, and cooking again. Then, they mature for 2 months or more in a sugar syrup.

The result is these amazing sweetened plums.

Green Gage plums, also known simply as "Gage plums," are a variety of European plum (Prunus domestica). They are known for their small to medium-sized fruit, typically round or slightly oval in shape. Green Gage plums get their name from their green skin, which can vary in color from light green to yellowish-green when ripe. The flesh of the fruit is sweet, tender, and greenish-yellow in color.

These plums are prized for their exceptional flavor, often described as both, sweet and slightly tart, with a unique, rich, and honeyed taste. They are considered one of the finest dessert plums and are often eaten fresh, used in preserves, jams, tarts, and pies, or even made into liqueurs.

Shop now for Ameixa d'Elvas Naturally Preserved DOP Green Gage Sugar Plums in a Wooden Box!

Tuna and Black Nicoise Olives, and green beans will make this salad spring even though it is winter! Be sure to use the very best olive oil you can!

See the Salade Nicoise Recipe here!