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In this issue:
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Meyer Lemon
Mugolio
Sesame Seeds
Back in Stock
Recipes of the Week
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Black Truffle Caviar
Like little jewels of black diamonds in a jar, if the lover in your life is a truffle lover, then there is nothing like this jewel of a little jar. Caviar that is truffles. Delicate elegance wrapped up with a punch! We love it!
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 Squeezing the Lemon
Albert opened the barrel and I stuck my head in. I was enveloped in a fog of olive and lemon. It was as if two large mittens pressed up against my ears and held me gently captive as I inhaled the most wondrous smells. It was, by far, one of the best “tastes” I have ever had.
I planned to take half a day away from the Fancy Food Show and go north of San Francisco to visit Albert and Kim in the Napa Valley. I planned to shoot the bottling of Katz Meyer Lemon Olive Oil so I could visually announce the new crop with pictures. Just a quick trip, up and back.
I envisioned something, I am not sure what, but what I expected did not happen. What did happen was a step into a wonderful time warp. Conversations abounded about all things food including, of course, olives and lemons.
The process to create Meyer Lemon Olive Oil starts with the beginnings of the ever popular Chef's Pick and distinctive Rock Hill Ranch. The tasting, the rating, and finally the mixing of the olive oils, creating the distinctive taste that makes Katz' oil Katz'.
Shop now and read on about the flavor of the year, Katz Meyer Lemon Olive Oil
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A True Slow Food
Mugolio Pine Syrup is An Italian Gem brought to the world courtesy of Eleanora Cuancia.
Primativizia is a play on the word “primitive”; Eleanora describes her work as that of a modern nomad-picking and foraging her way through the roots and shrubs of the truly wild and beautiful Dolomite mountains of Italy.
There, the native Mugolio Pine tree blooms in mid May. After their pollination, Eleanora Cuancia gathers up the tiny buds, or “gems”, offered up by the trees to make her special syrup.
Tucked into glass bottles and left to brown in the sun for several months, the buds release a liquid of concentrated pine perfume. Eleanora filters it, combines it with sugar, and cooks it down over a slow fire until it becomes a rich, sweet syrup.
The incredible labor required to produce a small bottle of pine syrup is astonishing. Even more astonishing is the flavor. It has layers of savory and sweet, like any good Italian condiment, and inspires mad, adventuresome kitchen forays... I imagined saucing up a whole roast pig with the stuff.
In a more restrained but still enthusiastic way, you can use it as a glaze for roasted meats. Try drizzling it on goat cheese or over a panna cotta. Consider the way that pine resembles other resinous flavors like rosemary or mint, and take it to the same places: try sweetening iced berry tea with it, or drizzling it on a lemon sorbet. Savor a few drops and discover exactly where the wild things are.
Shop now for Pine Syrup
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Open Sesame - rooted in the opening of the pod
Growing on a single stalk, ranging from 2 to 9 feet, the hairy pods of the thick bush contain the seeds of sesame. As old as the hills, sesame seeds make oil and butter. Not only a main ingredient in Tahini and Halvah, sesame has also been used as a baking ingredient for at least 4000 years.
As a spice or as a condiment, as a seed or as an oil, sesame can add good flavor. Like a finishing oil, sesame brings a distinct taste to dishes, bringing hints of Asian memories. Historically, the sesame plant has been used to create wine, perfume, and has been used as a medicinal antidote against the bite of the spotted lizard.
I use sesame seeds in almost everything I make. I once read that black sesame will turn my hair less grey. Since I didn't have black seeds, I figured I might benefit from white.
It turns out there actually may be good health in those little seeds. Considered a good source of copper to fight Arthritis, magnesium to lower blood pressure and diminish cholesterol, and calcium to prevent colon cancer.
And, if you eat a quarter cup, or a big mouthful, you can make a significant contribution to your daily nutritional needs. I don't know if it's working, but my hair is whiter than it was 5 years ago .....
Shop now for the easy to use and easy to eat condiment of the ages.
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June Taylor
Every year, we greet the arrival of June Taylor's marmalade creations with much excitement. And every year we dip our spoons and scoop up heaping tastes of the sweet-tart flavors. A truly unusual and always delicious sensation.
Last year, we received a wonderful new offering from June: her Clementine marmalade. This year, she has decided to offer a Page Mandarin Marmalade. Personally, I never thought she would be able to out-do the Clementine, but she has - the bright orange Page Mandarin is absolutely fantastic, full of the texture and flavor of what is often considered the most flavorful members of the mandarin family.
Page Mandarins are a cross between a Clementine and a Minneola tangelo. They were first produced in Orlando, Florida in 1963. They are medium to small in size with a round shape. Their skin is a deep orange. The flesh is tender and juicy, rich and sweet, and they are also seedless. This fruit resembles a small orange, with a wonderfully sweet flavor.
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