A Green Delight in Umbria

Letizia and Ruurd live what is a dream for many. They run an agriturismo B&B in Umbria, Italy housed in stone buildings, some dating back as far as 500 years old. They have lovingly renovated the buildings and grounds, operating as a B&B for almost ten years. More importantly to those of us who are olive oil fanatics, Letizia and Ruurd have restored the olive grove, planting 250 olive trees so they can make their own divine olive oil.

Committed to treading lightly on the earth, Alla Madonna runs solely on solar electricity with hot water and heat coming from solar thermal panels and a wood furnace. Alla Madonna is decorated with new and vintage natural fibers. Eco-friendly cleaning products are used, the gardens and olive groves are organic, and the food served guests as well as what s used in the cooking classes are locally produced. Google, the truffle-hunting dog at Alla Madonna die Piatto sniffs out the sneakiest truffles.

Guests can choose from six comfortable rooms with private baths. From March to November cooking classes are offered  two times a week. Room rates range from 85 to 105 euros per night for a double room. Please note: Alla Madonna is closed from mid-November to mid-March and for one week in July.

Alla Madonna is about 5 miles from Assisi. If you want to vicariously enjoy the fruits of Letizia's cooking, explore her blog at: http://madonnadelpiatto.com and create scrumptious meals from her simple yet exquisite recipes.

Azienda Agraria Alla Madonna del Piatto
Via Petrata 37, Pieve San Nicolo’
06081 Assisi (PG), Umbria, Italy
http://incampagna.com

Spanish Liquid Sunshine from Soler Romero

Most people don't realize that Spain, not Italy, is the largest producer of olive oil in the world. Organic olive oils are becoming increasingly available and one of the largest producers of organic olive oil in Spain is the family-run Soler Romero.

Situated in the Spanish province of Jaen in the southern region of Andalucia—the largest olive and olive oil producing area in Spain—Soler Romero uses only its own olives and does not buy from other farms or cooperatives so as to maintain the strictest control over the quality of their oil. They compost and recycle all the scraps and waste from their olive groves.

In business since 1850, Soler Romero was the first olive farm in Jaen to follow organic farming practices and was also the first to receive organic certification from the USDA in 2002. They also are certified organic by the European Union, Japan, and China as well as the local organic certification area for the region of Andalucia.

The estate's more than 1500 acres produce 700,000 pounds of olive oil every year from the picual olive variety, high in antioxidants, which makes the oil stable. Every stage of the process is performed on the estate, including processing the olives within two hours of harvest making for a very low-acidity oil— 0.10 percent (to be considered extra virgin an oil must be below 0.80 acidity). Soler Romero chooses an early harvest time, between mid-October and mid-November, which they feel results in the perfect oil made with ideally ripened olives.

Soler Romero olive oil is available in Spain, and also in the United States as well as other countries—including the UK, Canada, the Netherlands, Russia, Japan, China and Korea. If you live in Portland, Oregon (or are visiting) you can find Soler Romero oil served at Higgins Restaurant. Badger organic health balms and creams uses Soler Romero organic oil in their organic body-care products.

For more information about Spain's organic olive oils see the Green Earth Guide, Olive Oil: An Olive Oil Lover's Guide to the Organic Oils of Spain, with listings of forty organic oils and tips on having olive oil tastings. Use the Guide to help you tour through olive groves and estates, sampling Spain's liquid sunshine as you travel through Spain.

Olive oil: an olive oil lover's guide to the organic oils of spain

The new Green Earth Guide to the organic olive oils of Spain is now available on Amazon!

Olive Oil: An Olive Oil Lover’s Guide to the Organic Oils of Spain
is for any connoisseur or lover of olive oils. Passionate about olive oil, Dorian Yates, author of the award-winning Green Earth Guide series to traveling naturally and ecologically in Europe takes you on a tour of the abundant, fresh olive oils produced organically in Spain. Olive Oil includes historical and cultural information, growing and processing techniques, as well as full listings of over forty oils. Her mouth-watering guide to Spain’s organic olive oils makes you want to break out the dipping bread and start tasting.

Buy the book and start tasting the over forty delicious oils listed in the Guide. Some of them are available in the United States, others you will have to travel to Spain to enjoy.