The
Olive Harvest Cookbook
Olive Oil Lore and Recipes from
McEvoy Ranch
By Gerald Gass and Jacqueline Mallorca
(Chronicle Books, San Francisco, November 2004)
It’s
easy to get jaded about living on that stretch of land north
of San Francisco we call the Wine
Country. Just talk to anyone that lives there and they’ll
tell you tales of fresh-picked figs gobbled up with crumbles
of local cheese, washed down, of course, with some fabulous
local new wine. Then there’s the story of Nan McEvoy
(her ranch turns out some splendid organic extra virgin
olive oils) who, in 1990, purchased over five hundred acres
in western Marin County, intended as a family retreat.
After
two years, one visit to Italy
and the purchase of one thousand baby Tuscan olive trees,
Nan had an olive ranch and the beginnings of a thriving
business that, in addition to premium extra virgin olive
oil, includes honey and olive oil soap. Did we mention that
Nan was over the age of 70 when this all started?
But
that’s only a tidbit from The
Olive Harvest Cookbook: Olive Oil Lore and Recipes from
McEvoy Ranch. There’s a dose of California
olive growing history and plenty about the growing cycle,
harvest and processing. If you’re the type that’s
been tempted to make wine after reading about winemaking,
here’s another option.
Of
course, if you love food, the best part may be that Nan
hired Gerald Gass, Joyce Goldstein’s sous chef at
Square One. Gass graces The Olive Harvest Cookbook
with more than 70 recipes from the ranch kitchen. Heavenly
Wine Country soups like Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho, or cozy
Mixed Winter Squash Soup with Honey and Sage set the tone—and
it’s consistent throughout the nearly 200 pages. While
the food itself is not complicated, things can take a little
time—or some thinking ahead. Several recipes call
for fish fumet, best made at home but also an extra step
beyond the nerve of many home cooks. If that’s off-putting
find that fumet somewhere, because you don’t want
to miss out on Fish Soup with Asparagus and Spring Garlic;
Salt Cod with Potatoes, Leeks and Saffron; or Roast Sturgeon
with Cardoon and Chervil Sauce. Or any of the Fish and Shellfish
selections, for that matter.
It’s
impossible to skip a salad when it’s Warm Goat Cheese
Salad with Lavender Honey; or Fava Bean, Artichoke and Olive
Salad. The vinaigrettes are simple, the ingredients are
breathtakingly fresh and the result is bliss, even when
it’s nothing more than dressed lettuce, celery and
pecorino cheese.
What
follows is Pasta, Pizza and Focaccia—Spaghetti with
Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Olives and Capers; Gnocchi; Heirloom
Tomato Pizza; and Focaccia with Peaches, Red Onions and
Sage. Thank you, Gerald Gass, for the reliable, delicious
doughs and for giving them exquisitely simple treatments.
Meats,
Poultry and Side Dishes are worth pursuing. We loved the
Coriander-Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Roasted New Potatoes.
We were also glad that we didn’t want to eat it the
day we read the recipe, since it requires at least one day
to marinate. At least there was plenty more to choose from,
like Grilled Lamb Chops with Red Onion Marmalade and Celery
Root Purée; Braised Short Ribs; and Chicken Thighs
Stuffed with Mushrooms and Herbs—with a nice little
bit of pancetta and mozzarella to round things out.
Throughout
this olive oil journey, The Olive Harvest Cookbook
is easy on the eyes and kind to the inner cook in all of
us. Recipes are easy to follow, instructions are clear,
and head notes are friendly, engaging and useful. Luscious
photography jumps from the pages, but it’s not overkill
either. There’s good cooking in here.
By
the time you reach Desserts, every recipe has made use of
olive oil. Indeed, even a few desserts—Olio Nuovo
and Lemon Cookies (made with “new oil” directly
from the harvest), Chocolate-Olive Oil Cookies and a beguiling
Walnut-Olive Oil Cake—do as well. That esoteric edge
works surprisingly well. In fact, you begin to get a little
nostalgic for it when you reach the end and it’s nowhere
to be found in a handful of sweets. But, then again, you’d
be crazy to pass on the Fig-Walnut Tart and the Lavender
Ice Cream.
If
you get up to Petaluma, stop by and take a two-hour tour
of the McEvoy Ranch.
Until then, grab The Olive Harvest Cookbook and
spend some time getting to know your olive oil better. It’s
a trip worth taking.
Reviewed
by Kevin Schoeler
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