Slow Food Truckee olive oil tasting

Arbequina olives


Friday night we went to Slow Food Truckee's latest event -- an olive oil tasting. It was really interesting! Never thought I'd voluntarily sip oil (the tasting techniques are just like those used to taste wine) but we did and really could taste the different characteristics. The Slow Food Truckee group is growing fast so I won't try to name all the players here but they're doing a fantastic job putting together events that highlight the food and wine produced here in our region.

We met at the Truckee River Winery, where the evening started with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and with mingled with new and established Slow Food enthusiasts. Russ Jones talked to us a bit about the wines he and his wife produce at the Truckee River Winery. Then Mary Lou Banahan of California Olive Ranch spoke to us about olive oil production, tasting, local and global implications and points of interest. This is where we learned that olive oil has taste characteristics much like those of wine; apple, green banana, fresh artichoke, and others. It was fascinating! Next we moved on to a stupendous meal prepared by Betsy Taylor, a local nutritionist. From the feta with olive oil and bread, to halibut with an olive oil rich tepenade, and the finale of olive oil pound cake, it was delicious beginning to end. Some of her inspiration came from a book titled Olive Oil: From Tree to Table. Throughout the meal we drank wine paired to the dishes and marveled at the joy of learning, mingling, and food.Life is good!

As usual, I'm fixated on what we learned that night. I'll pass on a tiny bit here. Olive oil is harvested sometime in October; olio nuovo is the freshest version of olive oil is best eaten within 90 days (it is so delicious our two bottles won't last 3 weeks); new technologies can be used to produce the kind of olive oil humans have loved for thousands of years; and it is a versatile ingredient that has a place in every course. (Correction )A couple of weeks ago NPR did a report about the top money makers in the world and included on the list is the Italian mafia. One of their biggest profit makers is olive oil, which they dilute with other cheaper oils and sell as "extra virgin olive oil", so buyers beware. If you want to know that someone other than the federal government is watching out for the quality of the olive oil you eat and you want to buy as local as possible, look for the California Olive Oil Council seal of approval on the label.

Slow Food USA, Slow Food Truckee, and talented local growers/producers and restaurant owners are committed to giving us an opportunity to learn about all the marvelous locally produced foods and wines within our reach here in Northern Nevada. We've been eating locally for more than a year now and continue to be amazed at how it has enhanced our lives. It has been well worth the effort to modify our purchasing habits and seek out the exceptional food, wine and food-people we have come to know and love. I'll say it again...Life is good!