PASSION BEHIND THE PRODUCT

Olive Oil Crush

Greg Hinson of O Olive Oils takes organic olives and combines them with California citrus, and the result is pure magic BY NEIL ZEVNIK

In Italy, locally produced olive oil has always been a social mainstay to be revered, guarded, and shared. It is a singular offering that expresses the character of its region and even of the family that harvested and milled it. By the same token, attitudes toward how it should be rendered and described have remained the same for centuries— rather strict and specific. No messing about with tradition!

Then along came Greg Hinson, an American wanderer taking his infant daughter on day trips about the Italian countryside. “I was discovering the magic of extra virgin olive oil and the social bonds between families, their passion for olive oil, and how they traded oil between themselves. And I learned that there were so many styles of olive oil that were specific to types of dishes. I found that fascinating and wanted to learn more.”

What especially intrigued him was something almost invisible to the Italians—they were using whole fresh lemons as an astringent to clean the granite milling wheels at the end of the harvest, and then discarding the resulting liquor. That’s when the light bulb went on for Hinson.

So he returned to California a year later, rented an old olive oil press, and began his experiment of crushing whole organic Meyer lemons with foraged Mission olives. And that was the beginning of this new irreverent category of citrus-crushed olive oil.

His first growers were organic pioneers who used solar, biodynamic,

“I’ve been a vocal advocate for organic farming beginning with my first olive oil crush in 1995,” says O founder Greg Hinson. “My farmers had an old-school reverence for the land that was in their bones.”

and fish emulsion feeding programs before they were cool or widely practiced. “We grew together,” he says. “They planted more trees, and I made more olive oil. I was connected suddenly to passionate farmers who taught me that the health of the soil, water, and air is key to growing nutritious, healthy food.”

The road, of course, was not always smooth. Initially rejected by olive oil festivals in California as being “not real olive oil,” Greg persevered. “I thought, this is the same reaction as in Italy, but this is California, and we don’t have to repeat the same narrow interpretation as the Old World, right?”

Through it all, his focus has always been on the purity of the product and the process. “This product’s simplicity is what still amazes me. It is two perfect foods combined and crushed together. That’s it.

“I’ve been a vocal advocate for organic farming beginning with my first olive oil crush in 1995. My farmers had an old-school reverence for the land that was in their bones and in the way they lived their lives. We are now planting over 1,700 new acres of organic olives and converting conventional orchards to organic with another 500 acres. What I’ve learned is that if you create a market and pay a sustainable price to your farming partners, they will walk together with you.” And that is definitely a walk worth taking.

m a k e i t !

Cauliflower Steaks with Blood Orange & Vadouvan Spice

To keep with an orange theme, we chose vitamin A-packed orange cauliflower for this recipe, but you can easily use regular cauliflower. If you really want to get adventurous, try Romanesco broccoli.

Serves 4

2 blood oranges 1/4 cup O Blood Orange Olive Oil 2 Tbs. organic olive oil 1 large head orange cauliflower, cut into four thick slices 1 Tbs. Whole Spice

Vadouvan Crushed

Spice Mix Salt & pepper to taste 2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro 1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat oven to 400°F . Zest blood oranges, then peel and cut out segments.

2. Line large sheet pan with heavy-duty foil. C ombine blood orange olive oil and plain olive oil. Place the cauliflower slices on pan, and drizzle oil over both sides of slices. Sprinkle tops with Vadouvan spice, blood orange zest, and salt & pepper to taste.

3. Roast until cooked thr ough but not mushy, about 30–35 minutes (an inserted knife should penetrate easily).

4. Stir together blood orange se gments, cilantro, and mint. Distribute over cauliflower steaks, and serve.

Per serving: 270 cal; 5g prot; 21g total fat (3g sat fat); 18g carb; 0mg chol; 65mg sod; 6g fiber; 10g sugar