What do you get when you cross a Meyer Lemon and a Tuscan Olive? Lemon olive oil. Bliss! Really good extra-virgin olive oil is already a perfect thing. This is better.
Meyer lemons are a variety of citrus having sweeter and less acidic juice than typical lemons. A cross between lemon and mandarin, Meyer lemons were brought to the US from China in the late 1800's. After some pest challenges were overcome through breeding, they have become a regular crop in California.
The Meyer Lemon Olive Oil from Pasolivo is produced by crushing Tuscan olives and Meyer Lemon oil together. The artisanal Paso Robles olive oil producer grows seven Tuscan varietals. I remember when olives were either black in a can that I could eat off my fingertips or green and red in grown ups' drinks. For more on Paso Robles, and specifically, their wines see Discover Paso Robles.
Now we're learning "Italian food" is more than spaghetti and lasagna. For me, this began in college in New York when I learned how important the distinction between Sicilian and Italian is to both. Mario Batali's drop down map continues to be a favorite feature of Multo Mario for me.
Along with the blossoming interest in regional Italian cuisines. See Ruth Reichl's "Arrivederci Italy" in your April Gourmet (you do subscribe, don't you?) for an excellent start, or see Epicurious for Faith Heller Willinger's Italy).
Forget "black, pitted" or "martini", now we've seen olive bars become a regular fixture in grocery stores. Pasolivo uses the following varietals:
Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, Lucca, Moraiolo, Coratina, Kalamata, Mission, Manzanilla, Sevillano and Ascolano olives.
I swear I started this article before the May Saveur arrived, truly. (see above re: subscribing.) As I was sitting down to post, I decide to flip through it and find, in addition to the crack seed reference in the article "Pork Chops in Paradise", this issue includes a beautiful article "Land of Lemons". Reading Lorrane Alexander's piece, and drinking in the luscious photographs makes you feel as though you've just returned from holiday in Sorrento.
Ovale lemons, like their cousins the Meyers, have a deeper, sweeter juice than the lemons most of us are used to seeing in the grocery stores here in the US.
The simple pleasures of the lemon and its subtle presence in the regional fare remind me of the joys of good fresh food, directly from the source. Nothing can compare.
See my blog here to read about my Olive Grove Adventure or see my other blog for an egg-lemon soup recipe. A tribute to both Greek and Italian olives and lemons!
Here are some of my other favorite ways to use lemons and especially this divine lemon olive oil:
- Grilling Brush it on crusty bread before grilling asparagus, ramps, scallions.
- Lemony Caesar salad Grated lemon zest to top your Caesar, brightens and balances the salad. Grated lemon zest is delicious on most any salad, really.
- Gremolata Mixture of chopped parsley, lemon rind and garlic - adds fresh accent to chops, osso buco, stews, steaks.
- Homemade mayonnaise Add it any fresh mayo recipe. I added tarragon, too. Homemade lemon-tarragon mayonnaise wonderful in my potato salad. Such a treat as a dip for grilled asparagus.
- Simple syrup Lemon zest in simple syrup. Best lemonade sweetener.
For two beautiful ideas featuring our citrus di giorno, see also:
