Inspiration and Enlightenment Blossoms at Artisanal Olive Oil Producer Il Fiorello, the Little Flower

ingredient: ARTISANAL OLIVE OILS FlowerPower Inspiration and enlightenment blossoms at artisanal olive oil producer Il Fiorello, The Little Flower. BY ELYSE GLICKMAN 60 Intermezzo Intermezzo PB ome wine aficionados are touting the agricultural region S enveloping Fairfield, Califor- nia as “the next Napa.” Although the analogy may make some eyes roll and cynics may call the statement out as a marketing ploy, Fairfield has what it takes to fulfill that promise. For starters, its location in Suisun Valley is prime. Being just over the Vaca Mountain range from Napa gives it similar advan- tages in its soils, microclimates, and other conditions. It also enjoys its cur- rent status as discovery-in-the-making, thanks to fewer tourists and a growing number of award-winning wineries. Just like Napa, there’s also an artisanal food component that pairs beautifully with the wines. One of the best places to see it in action is at Il Fiorello, an olive farm and oil producer owned and operated by Ann Fiorello Sievers and Mark Sievers. Like many of the winery and imparted his knowledge on how to “Biodiversity is important on any and vineyard owners in the area, Ann feed the family. Ann’s father, Raphael farm, but even more so on an olive changed careers but found a way to use Fiorello, put this knowledge to good farm,” Ann explains, as her golf cart her medical knowledge in her new call- use, enabling his family to not only winds through her grove of Tunisian ing: growing olives and making award thrive, but also eat well from his garden. Chemlali trees and their diverse citrus winning olive oil. As an ENT surgical Consequently, a love for living off the grove. These olive trees are newly oncology nurse specialist, she col- land and commitment to conservation planted as they thrive in dry climates. laborated with sensory scientists, physi- were instilled in Ann, bringing her full “Climate change and the dryness of cians and speech pathologists at the circle into Il Fiorello, whose goal is to California has affected this year’s olive University of California at Davis. This expose visitors to a bounty of inter- harvest. This year was not a good har- discipline focuses on the senses of smell nationally inspired and international vest because of the weather conditions and taste. She was involved in research award-winning California olive oils. and the olive fly pest. However, some of with cancer patients who could benefit With support from Mark and daughters this disaster is mitigated with the rich- from medical therapy by rehabilitating Elisabeth and Katherine, her agricul- ness of our certified organic farm and their senses. tural baby has matured into over 2,000 efficient Italian milling equipment. We Her origins story, rooted in her trees and a mill that can produce up will continue to plant and test different ancestral homes of Sicily and Sant’ to three tons an hour to create the raw olive varietals.” Angelo D’Alife, Italy, rolls out much like materials for their own single varietal Ann points out fascinating parallels her neatly organized olive tree groves in and specialty oils, as well as dozens of between wine grapes and olives. First, the Suisun Valley. Varietals from Italy, private growers. olives are a fruit, making olive oil a France, Spain, Greece, and Tunisia are What the family has created over the fruit juice with various sensitivities that organized on the property based on the past fifteen years is impressive. Further- affect quality, flavor and relationships trees’ nutritional needs and required more, Ann’s encyclopedic knowledge with other foods. Olives generally sun exposure. Family patriarch Domi- of olive oils and their uses is bound to mature from mid-October to as late nic Fiorello, who immigrated to the U.S. expand the way visitors will view olive as the end of January, and the variety in the 1860s, not only brought with him oil, from casual fans to skilled home of tree and time of harvest will affect his agricultural skills, but also fruit and cooks and connoisseurs who have done each oil’s flavor profile. Like different vegetable seeds. He was a seed saver, olive oil tastings elsewhere. wine regions, there are quality control Intermezzo 61 organizations and a two-step, chemistry Il Fiorello’s productive culinary and should never go above 350°F as too lab-based process to certify an oil as vegetable gardens. During the session, much heat destroys polyphenols and “extra virgin,” or EVOO, which can Ann lays out more rules for greater antioxidants.” take two to five years. Like good wine enjoyment of olive oil when dining out, She adds that when deciding which blends, co-milled oils have more dis- and better results when cooking with it. oil will harmonize best with a given set tinctive flavors and aromas. “The first thing I hope people will of ingredients, one should smell the Olive oil, like any fruit juice or wine, learn is that different olive oils can oil for olive fruit, and then taste the oil can degrade when exposed to air. It is be enjoyed beyond bread and salads,” for fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. best enjoyed when it is fresh and young. Ann says, noting that she applies her Whether tasting the oil as one would Check the harvest and mill dates on knowledge of organic chemistry for for wine, or choosing an oil for a given the olive oil bottles. She states that oil food pairing. “It’s important to know recipe, it is important to not brush one’s should be stored for only two years that in Europe, if a waiter pours olive teeth or drink coffee beforehand so that under the best conditions. At home, oil onto a small dish and serves it with the true flavor rolls across the palate. use a wine preserver, such as Private the bread, you’ve been pegged as an Reserve’s Wine Preserver, to help American. Just as there are nuances For more information on tours, tasting extend the life and flavor of the olive oil. tied to every oil, there are different sessions, special events, community The formal tasting is within the ways to use them that bring out those millings, cooking classes and purchas- kitchen of the Grove Cooking School, subtleties. When making a salad, wash ing olive oils and other products, visit an important part of the farm and your hands, pour the oil into your ilfiorello.com. under the direction of Executive Chef hands, and mix the salad with your and Culinary Curator, Gloria Cicca- hands as it will prevent waste and more Information on Fairfield’s hotels and rone-Nehls. Ann points out that most thoroughly flavor the salad. If you’re other food attractions can be found at of the ingredients are sourced from cooking with olive oil, the smoke point visitfairfieldca.com. 62 Intermezzo Intermezzo PB International Varietals at Il Fiorello Italy France Frantoio, which means “oil mill” in Italian, is an early Aglandau, Tanche, and Boutellian olives are blended harvest oil that’s clean, robust and pungent, pairing best together to create Il Fiorello’s classic elegant French blend. It’s with savory foods. the perfect breakfast companion for eggs and omelets, as well as a perfect foundation and finish for French presentations. Leccino, which is smooth with a lingering finish, is ideal for fresh pasta, mashed potatoes or a perfect baked potato. Greece Koroneiki, the classic Greek olive, is grown in both high Moraiolo, a blending variety, is green, pungent, and density and standard vase shaped plantings. The green lus- delicious by itself. cious and delicious oil works best in a variety of Greek and Mediterranean dishes. Pendolino, the pollinator of all the olives, is delicate, green and grassy, pairing well with vegetables. Spain Arbequina and Mission olives are grown on site as a tribute Taggiasca, grown on steep terraces along the Italian and to the Spanish padres who settled in California. This oil is French Riviera, is a late season harvest fruit yielding a wonderful with fresh ripe tomatoes from the garden. buttery and very aromatic oil. Tunisia Cerignola, grown for brining and eating, is a huge olive Chemlali, a drought-tolerant tree from Tunisia, is the newest with lots of flavor. Six trees will produce enough to brine addition to the Grove. It remains to be seen how this variety and sample at the Visitors Center. accommodates to living in California. The expected produc- tion is in three to five years. Intermezzo 63 SPRING ONION GRATIN Cooking with Olive Oil SERVES 2 20 spring onions, trimmed 1/2 cup vegetable stock 2 tablespoons Lemon Co-Milled Olive Oil 4 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest, for garnish 1. In a large skillet on medium heat, com- bine onions and stock. 2. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. 3. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with cheese. Allow cheese to melt slightly. 4. Garnish with lemon zest and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature. ASPARAGUS SERVES 2 10 asparagus spears, cleaned and trimmed 4 tablespoons Pendolino Olive Oil Parmesan curls or shavings, for garnish 1. In a saucepan, warm 2 tablespoons oil. 2. Add asparagus spears; sauté until tender. 3. Place on a serving platter, and garnish with the remaining olive oil and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or cool. PASTA SALAD WITH FRESH VEGETABLES SERVES 2 8 ounces Radiatori Baia Pasta or similar organic whole grain pasta 4 spring onions, thinly sliced 2 radishes, thinly sliced 1 tomato, thinly sliced 1 cucumber, thinly sliced 4 tablespoons Athena’s Blend Olive Oil or Leccino Olive Oil 2 teaspoons Il Fiorello Signature Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 64 Intermezzo Intermezzo PB Salt and Pepper to taste 1.

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