Oil of the Gods

You all know the feeling. You come back from abroad and want to recreate, say, the lovely Greek Salad you had whilst staring at the blue Aegean or Ionian Sea from your harbour side perch. So you get it all together and the end result looks OK but tastes nothing like the original. Partly that’s because in Greece the veggies etc.; have grown in wonderful sunshine and been freshly picked that day. But partly it is the artisan quality of the very good olive oil and the feta cheese which has been waiting in its barrel of brine just for this moment of glory.

In Greece as Homer attests you find really good olive oil, particularly from Crete and the Northern Peloponnese. Olive oil plays an extremely important role in the Greek economy, as it represents 11 percent of the total agriculture production in terms of value. In 2009, a total volume of 370,000 tons counted for 0.3 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), whereas in Spain was 0.2 percent and in Italy 0.1 percent. Greece excels in terms of quality, since approximately 75 percent of the Greek olive oil is extra virgin, in contrast with 45 percent in Italy and 30 percent in Spain (mainly due to the special morphology of the country). Greece has been producing and trading premium quality olive oil for more than 3,000 years. Ever since, the Greeks have treasured olive oil's culinary and health values. Today, Greece is the world's largest producer of premium quality extra virgin olive oil – this is basically olive oil which should be tasted, in dips, salads and signature dishes, not used for frying.

However this really good Greek olive oil has been hard to get here which is why I was delighted to meet Christos Oikonomou, the founder & owner of Narrow Leaf Organic Olive Oil at a recent London Bloggers meeting. His vision is to introduce an exclusive and rare Greek olive oil to the wider market. Narrow Leaf is a single variety premium olive oil from the rare Patrinia tree, found only in a small corner of the Greek mainland. A group of small olive oil farmers who are members of the Local Agricultural Cooperative of Aigio have joined forces to provide this sustainably farmed, single variety organic olive oil.

The Patrinia breed can be found in blended olive oils but because of the demanding cultivation and care the tree requires, limited amounts means it has never been used on its own, until now. Patrinia is a rare olive tree which is only found in the Achaia region in northern Peloponnese. The Patrinia olive ripens in November and December and produces rich, premium quality olive oil. The tree's defining characteristic is its small, narrow leaf.

Narrow Leaf bottling plant. This artisan oil is cold pressed,
organic and with no additives

The area's microclimate and rocky, limestone soil, defines Narrow Leaf's aroma. Handpicked olives and cold extraction are vital for locking in the luscious flavours, ensuring low acidity. The low acidity of 0.2%, its fruity flavour with notes of freshly cut grass make it ideal for dressing salads, grilled and boiled fish, shellfish, vegetables and pasta. For an Olive Oil with real flavour and made the traditional way with love give Narrow Leaf a try and say goodbye to the bland and hello to real Greek flavour.

Narrow Leaf is £10.99 and comes in an elegant 500ml glass bottle. Buy online now at 

www.thenarrowleaf.com

UK and Northern Ireland deliveries only.

Narrow Leaf are also on Facebook;

www.facebook.com/narrowleaf

GREEK SALAD

So now you want to see the difference real olive oil makes to Greek Salad, here is the recipe. Greek salad, or horiatiki, is a rough country salad of juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumber, sliced red onion, green pepper, crumbly feta cheese and plump kalamata olives. Serve this delightful combination as a side dish or as a light meal with some crusty bread. Tomatoes, red onion and cucumbers are dressed with good olive oil and finished with feta cheese.

Ingredients

3 large ripe tomatoes cut into medium pieces or wedges

2 cucumbers, sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons Narrow Leaf premium organic Extra Virgin olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

3/4 (200g) pack feta cheese

A handful of black Greek olives, pitted if desired

Preparation method

In a shallow salad bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumber and onion. Sprinkle with salt to taste and let sit for a few minutes so that the salt can draw out the natural juices from the tomato and cucumber. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, and pepper to taste. Place a generous slice of feta cheese and olives over salad. Serve.

Tips:

Letting the salted tomatoes and cucumbers sit for a while before adding any oil is essential to a good Greek salad. The natural acidic juices from the tomato combine with the olive oil to make a delicious dressing, with no need for vinegar or lemon juice. Crusty bread is also a must so you can mop up every last bit of juice!

Whereas most recipes seem to suggest crumbled feta cheese on the Greek islands they generally put a slab of cheese on top and leave you to break it up, it is a better visual presentation. Avoid the bland “Danish” feta’s in the supermarkets and try to get proper Greek or Cypriot Feta. In Greece a Large feta was bought in the autumn and kept in a barrel of brine over the winter for use in the spring / summer. As the year goes on the cheese gets stronger and better!

For more on Greece and Greek Cuisine see “REAL GREEK” in the Blog sidebar >>>>>>>>>

For more on food and cuisine see “FOOD BLOGS” in the Blog sidebar >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

For real food in Greece see; “A lunch in Kalymnos”

http://daithaic.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/lunch-in-kalymnos.html

The Greek olive harvest takes place in November and December