The varied colors in this mound of olives awaiting pressing at the Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill in Kelseyville, Calif. reflects their differing stages of ripening. Photo by Esther Oertel.
Hundreds of olive-lovers will make their way to Kelseyville today to enjoy the second annual Kelseyville Olive Festival, making it a good day to write about this lovely little fruit.
Though I’ve touched on the subject of olives in past columns, it was in a roundabout way.
My inaugural column as “The Veggie Girl” was about olive oil, and in January I did a pictorial essay on “A Day in the Life of an Olive Press,” depicting local olives being pressed into rich, golden oil.
However, I’ve never written solely on the source of this goodness, the olive itself.
It’s quite possible that olives are the most symbolic fruits the world has ever known. They were not only beloved, but considered sacred in many ancient Mediterranean cultures spanning the millennia.
It’s estimated that the cultivation of olive trees began more than 7,000 years ago, and olives were grown commercially as far back as 3,000 B.C. In fact, commercialization of the olive crop may have been the source of wealth for the ancient Minoan civilization on the island of Crete.
The olive is one of the plants most cited in literature. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus crawls beneath two shoots of olive that grow from a single stock.
In Greek mythology, Athena won the patronage of Attica from Poseidon through the gift of the olive.
The Roman poet Horace refers to olives as a staple of his simple diet: “As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance.”
Olives and olive trees are mentioned more than 30 times in the Old and New Testaments, being one of the first plants mentioned in the Bible, as well as the most significant. For example, it is an olive branch that the dove brings to Noah to indicate the flood waters receded.
As for the Koran, there are seven mentions, including a reference to its being a “precious fruit.”
The olive tree, leaves and fruit have been symbolic of a variety of positive attributes through the ages, including peace, wisdom, glory, fertility, power, purity and abundance throughout history.
The leaves were used to crown victors of athletic games, as well as the victors of battles of war.
The olive tree is known for its longevity, and there are dozens of trees in southern Europe and the Middle East that are reputed to be between 2,000 and 4,000 years old. In some cases, scientific studies have confirmed this.
Interestingly, these trees still bear fruit.It is said that an olive tree bears fruit as well at 200 years of age as it does at the age of 20. One might say that it bears just as well at 2,000 years of age.
The olive is native to the eastern Mediterranean coastal region, including southeastern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. They’re now grown in a variety of places in the world that have a climate similar to that of the Mediterranean, including California.
Olives in our hemisphere are harvested in the fall and winter, typically beginning in November. Depending on their intended use, they may be harvested prior to ripening as green olives, fully ripe as black olives, or somewhere in between.
There are dozens of olive varieties – more than a hundred – and they vary wildly in terms of size. Color in their ripened state can vary from shades of brown to purple to black.
The Cerignola olive is large (almost the size of a small plum) and can be found in both green and black. In contrast, the tiny Nicoise olive is about the size of a fingernail. It hails from southern France and is purplish brown in color.
Sicilian green olives, also known as Sicilian colossal due to their size, are dense and somewhat tart, and the Gaeta, a small brownish-black olive, has a flavor reminiscent of nuts.
A good, all-round olive for cooking and salads is the Kalamata, a purplish-black Greek olive that has become quite popular in recent years and can almost always be found in local markets.
Olives in their raw state are bitter and unpleasantly sour, so prior to consumption, olives are cured to remove their bitterness.
There are a number of methods to achieve this, including using brine (salty liquid), lye, dry salt or even oil. If olives are cured in oil, they’re wrinkled and usually a bit tougher than when cured by other methods.
A variety of flavor components, such as garlic, lemon, peppers, herbs such as rosemary, and even nuts, may be used during the curing process to add unique taste to the olives.
Olives are among the healthiest foods on the planet, packed full of nutrients and health-supporting elements such as iron, vitamin E, dietary fiber, copper and monosaturated fats.
Antioxidants in olives protect against heart disease and promote colon health, including protecting against colon cancer. Olives have natural anti-inflammatory effects, making them useful in reducing the severity of diseases such as asthma, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
This little black fruit wooed the ancient world, and, now that we’re aware of its benefits beyond its flavor, a resounding “wow” is added to the woo.
The Kelseyville Olive Festival runs March 20 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Chacewater Wine Co. and Olive Mill (formerly the Kelseyville Wine Co. and Olive Mill) on Gaddy Lane just opposite the Kelseyville Post Office. The event is free, though beer and wine tasting will be available for a fee.
According to event organizers, a day of family fun focused on the olive is planned, and opportunities to learn about the history, cultivation, processing, types, and health benefits of olives and olive oil will be available.
Those attending may, among other things, sample products and vote for their favorites, visit arts and crafts booths, enter an olive-spitting contest, or get involved in an olive oil sensory evaluation or cooking demo.
In case of rain, much of the event is under cover.
Today’s recipe is for a mixed olive risotto from a culinary class I did a couple of Septembers ago to celebrate local olives and oil. It makes a hearty main course, and can be prepared as a vegetarian dish, if desired.
The olives used should be high-quality, rather than mild canned olives, such as those purchased at a deli olive bar. Many supermarkets carry high-quality jarred Mediterranean-style olives if an olive bar is unavailable.
The lemon zest added at the end off heat provides a pleasant counterbalance to the saltiness of the cheese (and prosciutto or bacon, if using).
This might be a lovely dish to make upon returning home from a day of fun at the Olive Festival. Enjoy!
Risotto with mixed olive medley
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, well cleaned, light green and white portions thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup high-quality mixed pitted olives (such as Kalamata), quartered
Grated zest of ½ lemon
½ cup Asiago cheese, grated
½ cup Prosciutto, diced, OR ½ cup Feta cheese, crumbled, OR 4 slices crisp bacon, crumbled
Bring broth to boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat so that broth stays at a constant gentle simmer.
In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add leeks and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and rice; cook one minute, stirring frequently.
Using a large ladle, transfer about one cup of the simmering broth to the rice mixture. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Continue adding broth, one ladleful at a time, until rice is slightly firm to the bite, 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally and keeping the rice mixture at a constant simmer.
Stir in olives and Prosciutto; heat through. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Grate lemon zest into risotto and stir to combine. (You may wish to add ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted or packed in oil, and/or ½ cup artichoke hearts, roughly chopped. They should be added along with the Prosciutto.)
Recipe by Esther Oertel.
Esther Oertel, the “Veggie Girl,” is a culinary coach and educator and is passionate about local produce. Oertel teaches culinary classes at Chic Le Chef in Hidden Valley Lake, Calif., and The Kitchen Gallery in Lakeport, Calif., and gives private cooking lessons. She welcomes your questions and comments; e-mail her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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