Hey girls, since you two live out there in the wilds of Northern California, I thought you might be familiar with the California Olive Ranch. I found out about them from an article in the September issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine. The article raised a question that I have often contemplated, 'Are the olives and, thus, the olive oils from California every bit as good as their Mediterranean counterparts?' Well, they ultimately rated a Spanish Arbequina the best, but the Arbequina oil from California Olive Ranch came in just below it. Since I often purchase Arbequina from a terrific oil company called Spectrum Naturals, I decided to check out the California Olive Ranch. Boy was I happy to have found out about them. I signed up for their email newsletter and soon found out about a wonderful product that they have begun offering. It is really something very special, Olio Nuovo. Olio Nuovo is produced from the very first olives pressed after the fall olive harvest. According to Claude S. Weiller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at California Olive Ranch, "We bottle it immediately after we press the olives. Unlike other oils, we don’t put Olio Nuovo into tanks at our two mills for a few months to allow the fruit particles and other sediment to settle. That’s why you need to consume Olio Nuovo by early March. Otherwise, those fruit particles will begin to ferment."Previously, an American would either have to have been related to Mediterranean olive growers or be in good with the them to have the opportunity to enjoy the once a year production of Olio Nuovo. Now, it is possible for anyone to be able to enjoy this rare treat. I put in an order for four bottles of it back on August, 7th. It is suppose to become available for shipping this month. I am really looking forward to it. Of course, I have an olive fetish so you may not share my enthusiasm.
WH, did you happen to see last month' s issue of Saveur magazine. The theme of the issue was, Why Lamb Rules! It had several articles about lamb and many recipes, of course. I learned a lot from it. For example, I did not know that lamb raised east of the Mississippi is primarily grass-fed, while that west of it is typically grain-fed. I do not know why that should be the case, but it makes me want to get hold of some that is grass-fed.
On a related note, are you familiar with Niman Ranch? It appears that they are pretty big players in the US lamb business. I did not learn that from the issue of Saveur but, rather, from visiting the Niman Ranch web site. I found out about them when I picked up a package of what were touted as 'All Natural' Andouille Sausages. I liked the sausages and decided to visit their website. I had no idea at that point that they were also in the lamb business. It turns out they graze large numbers of sheep in vast areas of the west stretching from Utah and Idaho on into California. They seem to be going about the whole business in a highly ethical way.
4 comments:
PMT:
I believe the California "girls" are occupied this week with parental and dental issues. So let me take this opportunity to mention, if I have not done so before, that I also sell lamb. My lamb is not only cheaper, but it is better than
Niman Ranch lamb, and notwithstanding the hype surrounding their marketing niche, mine is grown much more sustainably. Every single lamb I sell
is born within 100 yards of where I now sit, spends it's entire life within the boundaries of my hundred acres, and enjoys a somewhat idyllic life until moments before it's humane death. And if Niman can ship to Florida, so can I. Remember those two words: Cheaper. Better.
We now interrupt this commercial break for some content. What the hell have you been doing with the time you saved by not communing in the blogosphere?
Of course I know that you sell lamb. Why do you think I posted about it? Is yours grass-fed? Grass-finished? Why do you suppose that the sheep raised east of the Mississippi are grass-fed whilst those in the west are grain-fed? I take it you don't think highly of Niman Ranch. Is there a reason for that apart from their being the competition? As far as your shipping to Florida, I recall that you once stated that you sold pretty much locally. If you are willing to ship to Florida, perhaps I should urge the little market from which I bought the Niman andouille to contact you. It's a nice little market, but I was disappointed to discover that the lamb they stock is from Australia. I prefer to buy stuff produced closer to home and, since there is no such thing as Florida lamb, I opt for American lamb. Please forgive me, but I do not recall whether or not you have a website for your farm/company. If you would care to provide a URL for it or some other form of contact information, I would be happy to share that information with the owners of the 'Delaware Chicken Farm & Seafood Market'. That is the name of the little market in Dania Beach of which I speak.
As regards what I have been up to ... I already told you. I have been immersed in my exhaustive studies of witchcraft & lesbianism. It may seem a frivolous pursuit but, I assure you, it is not. The lesbianism part of it is obviously an obstacle for one such as myself. That portion, I must admit, is a bit difficult to swallow ... something with which I have not previously experienced any problem.
Yet, it is the witchcraft part that is truly vexing. To date, nobody has replied to my advertisement seeking 'Dwarves, Hunchbacks, Tattooed Women and Freaks of All Sorts' for my studies. I fail to understand why this should be the case since I am sure the world abounds with them. That coupled with the miserable state of the economy of late ... oh, wait ... I have just informed that we are recovering. Hmmm .. perhaps all is not lost ... uh ... where we again? Ah, yes, witchcraft and lesbianism. More on that later.
PMT:
I hope you understand that my post was equal parts humor, petulant jealously regarding Niman, and a sincere offer on my part to sell and ship a lamb to you. I produce and sell about 50 lambs a year. Niman is my competitor in the same sense that Kraft is a competitor for the stovetop chevre and the occasional caprine Romano
my lovely wife (aka The Irish) makes, mostly for our own consumption and a gift now and then.
That said, Niman (and for another example, Kansas City Beef), sell huge amounts of meat that is produced to their somewhat exacting standards by others. There is variation in breed of sheep or cattle, though. My sense of the Niman business model is that they started out doing what I do, albeit on a somewhat larger scale, and meeting with success, continued in the uber-American Sam Waltonesque to expand until they are no longer just farmers but full blown entrepreneurs. I do not say that (too) critically but only to underscore the fact that I am a farmer with a keen sense of scale and an acute allergy to things that might change my self-perception and identification. For example, I have no interest in shipping a lamb to someone in Florida or Colorado who has stumbled onto my non-existent website. But because I "know" you, I would be pleased and proud to sell you a lamb and go to some extraordinary lengths to deliver. Last year I sold 2 lambs to a nice Jewish lawyer in Cincinnati who heard about my lamb from his favorite produce vendor at the Findlay Market near downtown Cincy, who also happens to be a friend of mine. It felt deliciously subversive to drive across the Ohio River on a Sunday afternoon into a neighborhood six blocks from the riverfront and carry to coolers full of contraband lamb into his house. I also sold a lamb to a columnist for Blue Ridge Country magazine, who happens to live 1/2 mile from my wife's aunt in a remote mountain village in Western North Carolina. We met her at Christmas dinner there, and next Christmas and every year since take a lamb when we return. Does that give you some idea whaft we're about? This is not a hobby; a substantial part of our meager income comes from the 50 lambs.
On to more interesting topics, witchcraft and lesbianism. We consider ourselves pagans, although that tag smacks of religiosity, and we practice no religion or ritual. We're just natural beings, as in nature, and pagan is the closest thing to that. I am curious about what aspects of witchcraft have caught your interest, though.
The other is much more understandable and interesting. Just as no one, despite claims and protests to the contrary, can be 100% heterosexual, I doubt anyone can be 100% homosexual. I do think that we men tend to reduce lesbianism to cunnilingus, mostly because we're men, but think we could learn much about love, both in the physical and in the emotional sense. So keep us posted on the progress of your studies. Pruriently, if you wish.
Hi Fellas and maybe WM, Larry is right, any posting time I've had has been around the corner. The rest of it has been devoted to medical and dental issues, both for Fred and for me.
2009 has been a weird year, but I'm counting on 2010 to clear out the bad vibes and delivery some clear skies and warm breezes.
PMT, about your original question about California Olive Ranch, sorry but I don't know of them. I think they are headquartered a little farther north than our area. I believe we are pretty fortunate to have a very good olive oil in Sciabica's, which is right down the road in Modesto. Nice people and Grandpa Joe, who is in his 90's still comes into their sales room every day. He says he owes it all to a daily dose of a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.
I've mentioned before that I don't do much internet food ordering. My hips are big enough without searching out things that I suddenly can't live without. Once in a while we come across something local that is really good, but mostly we are limited to summer farmers' markets.
On other topics, my own family has (had) a lesbian or two, as well as few homosexuals. Looking back, before we talked about such things, it was pretty obvious that my father's sister and my mother's bachelor brother were not much interested in the opposite sex.
Back to now, Fred's brother and a cousin on my mother's side are "out" gay guys and two daughters of two separate cousins on my mother's side are lesbians. Every one of them either dated or were married to O(pposite)S(ex), but it didn't/couldn't stick. They all seems to be much happier in their lives and relationships now.
Personally, I've never had even a 5% lesbian encounter, although I have had a couple of semi-joking invitations. Sure, I've thought about what it would be like, but it just didn't appeal to me, so I laughed off (politely) the invites and we went on being girlfriends.
No pagan here, just a comfortable atheist. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in witchcraft. It sounds fascinatin'.
Let us know.
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