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Especially Puglia

From Puglia to your table

Grilled Lamb Chops and Fennel Salad with a Honey Vinaigrette Recipe

LambChop1
Lamb is a quintessential Easter staple in Puglia, so we thought this was the perfect simple recipe to share! We hope this can help you impress family and friends this Easter (or all year long)! In Pugliese cuisine, it is all about fresh and flavorful ingredients, prepared simply, to create something beautiful and delicious! 
Serving Size: 1-3 people  - Prep Time: 20 mins - Cook Time: 20 mins 

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
Rose Wine or wine of your choice 
3 Lamb Chops 
1 head of garlic 
2 tsp Peperoncino 
Handful of Bay Leaves 
2 Sprigs of Rosemary 
3 Stalks of Celery 
Apple Cider Vinegar or vinegar of your choice 
Acacia Honey 
1 Head of Fennel 
3 tomatoes on the vine 
1 red onion 
A bunch of mint 
Salt to taste 
Pepper to taste 
Mosto Cotto 

Directions:

For the Marinade: 
  1. Smash 4-5 cloves of garlic with your hand or a knife, set aside. Cut off the bottoms of the celery stalks and chop. Cut the red onion in half, set other half aside. 
  2. Place the lamb chops in a large mixing bowl, add the smashed garlic, bay leaves, chopped celery, rosemary leaves, red onion and peperoncino. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, and rose wine, enough to cover the bottom of the bowl. Mix up the entire mixture in the bowl with tongs, making sure the lamb chops are completely coated.  
  3. Put in the fridge for at least 2 hours to marinate. You can marinate overnight if you would like as well. 
For the Vinaigrette and Salad: 
  1. Pour about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar in a small mixing bowl. Drizzle honey in the bowl, about 2 tablespoons worth. Mix it up so that the ingredients are a smooth mixture. 
  2. Chop the head of fennel and half of red onion into slices, then cut tomatoes into quarters and place in medium mixing bowl. Chop mint finely and sprinkle on to salad. 
  3. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle vinaigrette on top of salad and toss so that everything is nicely coated. Set aside. 
For the Lamb Chops: 
  1. If using a table top grill use high heat, so that the grills are almost smoking. If using an outdoor grill use discretion on temperature. 
  2. Place the lamb chops on the grill face down for approximately 2 minutes to get a sear. Flip to the other side, and cook for approximately 3 minutes for a sear on both sides. 
  3. While it is cooking you can dip the rosemary springs in the extra marinade and spread on the lamb chops to keep them juicy. Place the onions, garlic, bay leaves and rosemary on the grill for the last few minutes. Turn and get a sear on the side of lamb chops for one minute. 
  4. Take off and let the lamb chops rest for a ten minutes. When you are ready to plate, place the lamb chops on a plate, add grilled vegetables and herbs, drizzle with olive oil and mosto cotto. Plate the salad, and enjoy! 

Shop for this Recipe with Especially Puglia: 

  1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - for Olive Oil all year-long check out our Adopt an Olive Tree Program! 
  2. Acacia Honey - for other types of honey from Puglia, check out our Adopt a Beehive program! 
  3. Mosto Cotto or Grape Must -  Coming Soon to our shop! 

Adopt a Beehive with Especially Puglia

Honey & Beekeeping
A honey from one of our partner farms about to be harvested!

We’ve loved bringing you the finest extra virgin olive oil and specialty cheese from Puglia, now we are so excited to introduce our newest program: Adopt a Beehive! We will be bringing you fresh organic honey straight from Puglia!

Adopt a Beehive lets our customers (that’s you!) select and “adopt” a beehive from a specific family honeybee farm in Puglia. By adopting a beehive, you are making an upfront contribution that supports independent farmers and producers in ensuring a high quality product.

Farmed using organic and sustainable methods according to proud artisanal tradition, the honey from our partner farms is expressive and full of terroir.It’s incredibly fresh and uniquely flavorful.

We ship your honey straight from the family farm producer to your home.

By adopting a beehive, you receive two 500-gram jars of honey in seasonal flavors—Millefiori Mountain, Acacia, Orange, or Coriander—sourced directly from a Pugliese farm.

The jars of honey will arrive in a wooden crate with a classic honey dipper, a bee tea towel, and a Certificate of Adoption that includes the name of the farm, number of the hive, and the date of harvest.

Adopt a Beehive
Our Adopt a Beehive box comes with two flavors of honey, a bee-tea towel, certificate of adoption, and information about the farm you are supporting!

Looking to check those holiday gifts off your list? Adopt a Beehive and receive honey all year long! It is the perfect present for any food lover!

Our honey producers include Garofalo Farm and Anzivino Farm:

The former is run by Anna Lina Garofalo and her husband, two dedicated beekeepers who founded their company almost 40 years ago. Now they tend around 200 hives in the “Apicoltura Ceglia,” near the Regional Park of the Bosco Incoronata.

Anzivino Farm is the family farm of Fabio Anzivino, who took over 40 beehives from his father. While the company is based in Orsara di Puglia, the beehives are continuously moved to follow the flowering periods in the surrounding area, to ensure the finest honey.

Three reasons we hope you’ll love our Adopt a Beehive program:

  1. It’s good for the earth! – The population of bees has been in a rapid decline across the globe. Bees help nurture and support the environment, and nearly one-third of the food we eat relies on bees for pollination. Beekeeping supports the bee population by providing bees with a steady source of food.
  2. Support small farmers – Your contribution will ensure family farms in Puglia continue to thrive.
  3. You’ve never tried honey so delicious – This silky sweet honey is fragrant, smooth, and nearly impossible not to love. Whether you’re stirring it into your tea, drizzling it over vanilla ice cream, or using it to glaze veggies, you’ll taste the difference.

Quick and Easy Pugliese Appetizers for Thanksgiving

This is the season for hosting! With so many holidays coming up, there is no doubt you’re probably going to be hosting at least one dinner party. We know it can be stressful; Will the turkey roast properly? Will there be good dinner conversation? Will your picky Aunt Rita like the wine you chose?  AGH! That’s why we are giving you appetizer recipes to wow all of your guests!

There are already so many things to juggle, the last thing you need to worry about are the appetizers, that’s why we’re here to help! No need to go over the top with complicated canapés or tasteless frozen ready-mades. We have three quick and easy Pugliese appetizer recipes that will keep your guests satisfied and free you up to have some fun!

Fried Olives

Serves 8

This is the only recipe on our list that requires cooking, but it’s fast & breezy. Frying the olives gives them a little more pizzazz than the fresh-out-the-jar version.

Olives

Ingredients:

2 cups small, sweet pitted black olives

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 small red chili pepper, chopped (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet on medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and chili peppers. Cook for one minute. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the olives. Cook for another five minutes, or until the olives are blistered and some have popped. Serve warm.

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Burrata with Truffle

Serves 8

The easiest of all three recipes, this one only requires a few ingredients and quick assembly, but your guests will be very impressed by the elevated flavors of this creamy favorite.

Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb Fresh Burrata

1/2 oz shaved black truffle

Olive oil 

Sliced Italian bread for serving

Directions:

Slice the burrata. It will be runny, so keep it in a bowl to retain the soft interior of the cheese. Mix in the shaved truffle and top the burrata with olive oil. Serve cold with bread.

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Bruschetta with Caciocavallo, Capocollo, Fig and Honey

Serves 8

Last but not least, this tasty stack brings a complex balance of flavors in a neat little package. Savory capocollo and sweet honey give a texture boost from the velvety caciocavallo and seedy figs.

Appetizer

Ingredients:

16 slices Italian bread, 1/4 inch thick

olive oil

1/4 lb capocollo

8 oz caciocavallo cheese

16 figs

1/2 cup honey

Directions:

Brush each slice of bread with olive oil and toast until golden brown. Top each slice with capocollo, caciocavallo cheese, and one sliced fig in that order. To finish, drizzle bruschetta with honey.

Olive Harvest Season is Here!

Five reasons we’re excited about the 2018 Olive harvest & Olive Oil to come! 

Olives

It’s the most wonderful season: harvest season! We’re in Puglia right now, helping our farmers press their ripe olives into fresh, fragrant extra-virgin olive oil. We’re so excited for you to taste the incredible oil. Throughout Italy, it’s been a difficult harvest. But our farmers take impeccable care of their groves and focus on quality over quantity, so you can count on impressive olive oil this year.

Pre-order your fresh-pressed extra-virgin olive oil now, and you’ll receive your package by the middle of December. They are perfect for holiday cooking and gifting! Here are five reasons we wait all year for the olive harvest:

Freshness Matters

The harvest happens only once a year in autumn—right about now. When it comes to age, olive oil is more like juice than wine: fresh is best…by far. Time is an enemy of olive oil, causing it to slowly but surely oxidize and degrade. Our olives are pressed within eight hours of being handpicked to ensure maximum freshness. As you’re reading this, olives are being harvested, freshly pressed, and bottled in our family farms in Puglia.

Supporting Family Farms

Our oil is produced organically on small, family-owned farms—many of whom have been tending olive groves for countless generations. We work directly with these farms (we’re here now!). By participating in our international CSA programs and enjoying our products, you’re directly supporting family-run farms and independent artisans. When your oil arrives, you’ll know the people behind the product. You’ll be able to taste the terroir, sense of place, tradition, and care that goes into every bottle.

Olive Tree

Transparency & Quality

Producing real-deal extra virgin olive oil and maintaining its quality through transport and the supply chain is incredibly difficult. Most ‘extra virgin’ oils on grocery store shelves do not deserve that status. They are past their prime, or they were never extra virgin to begin with.

We’re proud to offer olive oil whose quality and integrity you can trust. By working hand-in-hand with master farmers and craftsmen and remaining true to the ethos of small-batch, artisanal production, we offer some of the purest extra virgin olive oils in Southern Italy. You’ll receive an adoption certificate with the number of your tree and information about the groves and farm, so you know precisely where your oil comes from. By emphasizing sustainable practices, small-batch production and short, transparent supply chains, we guarantee the most authentic taste of Puglia.

Healthy & Delicious

Quality olive oil boasts myriad health benefits, like protecting against cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol. It’s a mainstay of Mediterranean diet, considered the healthiest diet in the world. Extra-virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenol compounds—a kind of antioxidant. There are over 30 compounds that we know of in olive oil, which is more than in blueberries. It also helps that the freshest, best olive oil tends to be the healthiest and the most delicious. A healthy life isn’t all about what you eat, it’s also about how you eat. This season, slow down and take some time to enjoy a meal with people you love.

Olive Oil

The Perfect Holiday Gift

Check your food-loving friends and family off your list. These are olive oils you want to have in your life, on your table and in your kitchen. Three liters of single-harvest extra virgin olive oil from plus a ceramic bottle in which to decant your oil, made by Pugliese artisans and packed in a hand-crafted wooden crate make a lovely present. No wrapping necessary. 

Adopt an olive tree and share the love!

The Apricot of Galatone -Albicocca di Galatone

Apricot
Photo: IG @sandroboccia

Apricot season is in full swing this time of year in Puglia, so we thought we’d share a little bit about them! Apricots from this region aren’t your everyday variety, The Apricot of Galatone is something special. Puglia is known for it abundance of tasty produce, but the history behind these products isn’t as well known. 

History of the Apricot

Apricots most likely hail from North-Eastern China near the Russian border, but Alexander the Great found them in Armenia where they are still considered a traditional fruit. Greek physician, pharmacologist, and botanist, Pedanius Dioscorides, called the fruit “armeniakòn milon,” or apple from Armenia. The name ‘apricot’ derives from the Arab “al-barquq” meaning plum. Today, apricots are produced widely across the Mediterranean, Eurasia, the United States, and Australia.

The story of the Apricots of Galatone are lost in the legends of the Knights Templar who brought it to Salento on their way back from the East. This variety (known as “arnacocchia” in the local dialect) is smaller than the common variety and is characterized by dark spots near the stalk which, according to local legend, were painted by St. Luke.

The Apricot of Galatone

The Apricots of Galatone are the only native apricot variety from Puglia. It nearly disappeared due to agricultural industrialization, but it’s now protected by a Slow Food Presidium. The Apricot of Galatone trees, like many ancient varieties, can bear fruit longer than more common varieties. Some can even keep bearing fruit for over 50 years!

According to local farmers, this is thanks to the tradition of grafting plum and bitter almond onto the trunks of the apricot trees.  In the countryside of Galatone, there’s even tale of an 80-year-old tree that still becomes golden with apricots every summer. The Apricots of Galatone are known for being sweet and soft. You can eat the fruit on its own, or enjoy its jam on bread or in cakes.

By: Antonio Caso

Orecchiette alla Crudaiola

Pasta Recipe

Cookout season is here and that means plenty of outdoor gatherings with friends and family! Grilling is a must, but we can’t forget about all the tasty sides. And thats where we come in, with our simple, but delicious pasta recipe just for you!

Pasta salad is a summer staple that no cookout spread would be complete without, but forget about making the same old box mix we’ve come to accept! You and your friends and family deserve better! We have the perfect fix, that is still easy, still fast, but SO much tastier!

Drum roll please, we present to you: Orecchiette alla Crudaiola! Mix in a few fresh ingredients to your handmade orecchiette, refrigerate, and you have a simple Apulian classic dish that everyone will love!

Below, you’ll find a recipe and link to a video that will show you how to put it all together. Whether you’re having a picnic, barbecue, or beach outing, you’ll always want this pasta salad on the menu!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb al dente orecchiette pasta, still warm
  • 1 lb fresh cherry tomatoes, chopped
  • one handful  basil, chopped
  • 16 oz grated ricotta salata or fresh mozzarella
  • 1 clove garlic, cut into a few pieces
  • 4-6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Directions:

  1. Let the garlic set in the olive oil for a few minutes.
  2. Mix together all ingredients except for pasta.
  3. Stir in warm pasta.
  4. Garnish with more cheese, olive oil, and basil to taste.
  5. Eat right away, or chill for an hour before eating.

Watch how it’s made here!

Tasting Guide to the Wines of Puglia!

Happy National Wine Day!

Wines of Puglia

It’s National Wine Day and we’re here to guide you through Italy’s 2nd largest wine producing region, Puglia of course!

The Terroir of Puglia

The regions richly fertile soils and beautiful climate make it a no-brainer as an option for growing grapes. Puglia has a relatively hot and dry climate that’s tempered by cool breezes from the surrounding water, resulting in expressive and delicious wines. The incredibly diverse geography of the region produces wines that are endlessly varied in terroir. Puglia currently has 29 DOC and 4 DOCG wine regions, mostly concentrated in the Salento region at the very heel of Italy’s boot.

Over the past few years, Puglia has gone through some major changes in the quality of their wines due to caring producers and new regulations. Once quantity focused, the region now has winemakers who want to show the world how amazing Apulian wines can be.

If you love Italian wines, this is definitely the region to keep your eyes on.  Look no further than this list for a foundation in major Apulian vino! While this list isn’t exhaustive as there are many grape varieties found in the region, these are the major grapes you will come across when you first dive into the beautiful world of Pugliese glou-glou!

RED WINE

Red wines are the bread and butter of Puglia, making up most of the region’s wine.  If you like fruit forward, full red wines then this is the region for you!  And rosé fans? Many of these grapes make some of the best rosés in Italy as well!

Negroamaro

The name Negroamaro means “black bitter” in Italian.  The grapes are in fact quite dark in color, and wines made from Negroamaro will typically have a distinct bitter profile.  The grape is well suited to Puglia’s climate with its thick skins and drought resistant nature. Many Apulian rosés are typically made from Negroamaro.

Wine Profile:  Ruby-Violet in color.  Aromas of red cherry, tobacco, and licorice that transition into black pepper, prune, and herbaceous notes with age.  Flavors typically of ripe blackberry and tobacco. Full bodied with soft tannin. This wine is best between 3-7 years old but can be had with up to 10 years of age.  It can be drunk at room temperature, but a slight chill is also pleasantly refreshing.

Food Pairing: lamb, grilled tuna, red sauces, spicy antipasti

Primitivo

Primitivo is the same grape as California Zinfandel.  The name means “early ripening” in old Italian, a name true to its typically early harvest in August.  The grape is less robust than Negramaro, being sensitive to drought, high temperatures, and frost. Primitivo has a naturally high sugar content and its wine was traditionally praised for its high alcohol content (it can reach upward to 18% ABV!).  The intense aromatics have garnered Primitivo popularity in modern times.

Wine Profile:  Aromas of sour and black cherry as well as raspberry.  Taste is jammy black fruit with low acidity and moderate tannin as long as it sees a little barrel time.

Food Pairing:  grilled meat and poultry, sausage, red sauce, strong cheeses

Nero di Troia

This black skinned grape is perfectly at home in the northern part of Puglia, especially Foggia and northern Bari.  This late-ripening variety has two growing styles: large berry, tight cluster which is suitable for high yields, and small berry, loose cluster which is suited for high quality.  The relatively high astringency of the grape makes it common in red blends.

Wine Profile: Aromas of cherry, violets, and tobacco.  Taste is dry with medium acidity and variable, but typically high tannins.

Food Pairing: fava beans and chicory, rabbit ragu, grilled chicken

WHITE WINE

Though Puglia is most known for red wines that make up the majority of production in the area, one cannot ignore the beautiful white wines coming from the region as well.  The hot and dry climate of Puglia produces crisp dry white wines made for easy drinking blends.

Verdeca

Verdeca is a white grape grown almost exclusively in Puglia but is slowly falling out of favor in the wine world.  It is a very neutral flavored grape and historically was most commonly used in vermouth production. Now it is typically found in blends. But don’t count Verdeca out! It’s very easy drinking and refreshing with notes of citrus, pineapple, and bergamot.

Wine Profile:  Color is straw yellow with a touch of green.  It has a clean minerality that’s almost flinty, with herbal and citrus notes.  Due to acidity, drink young.

Food Pairing: clams, calamari, meat pastries, light cheeses

Bombino Bianco

Bombino Bianco is an easy growing, resistant grape varietal with high yields.  Though typically blended with red grapes or used in sparkling wines, Bombino Bianco can be found in still wines on its own.  Unlike many wine varieties, it is also used to make raisins.

Wine Profile: Color is lemon yellow with hints of pale green.  This is a very neutral and subtle grape that can sometimes express soft citrus fruit and floral notes with touches of minerality.

Food Pairing: Marinated eel, shrimp, sweet potato fritters, roasted flounder

Greco Bianco

This grape reportedly has Greek origins and has an incredibly long history of over 2500 years.  It is genetically similar to the variety Asprinio. The late maturing Greco Bianco is almost always used in a blend with other Apulian varieties, though a passito dessert wine called Greco di Bianco can also be made in Calabria.

Wine Profile: These wines are fresh and grapey with racing acidity.  They have peachy, grassy aromas and a deep color. Though best young, they will develop more nutty aromas after a few years in the bottle.

Food Pairing: seafood pasta, pulled pork barbecue, caramel, walnuts

Simple Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe

Simple, wholesome Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe for the holidays!
Roasted Pumpkin Soup Recipe by Valentina Solfrini

Recipe by Valentina Solfrini

This year, forget the pie, and try this delicious and simple Roasted Pumpkin Soup recipe at Thanksgiving topped with fresh, cold-pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil! After all, it is soup season.

You’ll need:

  • Fresh pumpkin
  • EVOO
  • Shallots
  • Sage
  • Rosemary
  • Almond milk
  • Your choice of cooked whole grain
  • Crème fraîche for garnish
  • Roasted pumpkin seeds for garnish
  • Salt & fresh pepper to taste

Directions:

Place pumpkin and shallots on a baking tray and drizzle with fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, minced sage and rosemary and roast until soft.

Once it has cooled down, blend in a blender with a little unsweetened almond milk.

Pour into a large saucepan, simmer until thoroughly heated and serve with your choice of whole grain (whole barley, farro, brown rice or quinoa) for added flavor, texture and nutrition!

Finish it with a drizzle of fresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Garnish with crème fraîche and your favorite toasted seeds.

This delicious, savory and flavorful Roasted Pumpkin Soup can be a great first course for Thanksgiving or an easy, healthy, light meal all by itself.

Hope you enjoy this delectable soup and the rest of your Thanksgiving feast.

Here’s why our gourmet olive oils are your best choice for this season!

It’s that time of the year again! The holiday season is just around the corner. And this year, we have added three new groves, which means three new gourmet olive oils for you to explore and celebrate with!

At Especially Puglia, all our extra-virgin olive oils (EVOO) are made using single-sourced olives that are harvested in different groves – making each olive oil truly unique. So pre-order your 2017 harvest olive oil gift boxes now to get them by mid-December, right around the holidays. Here’s more on why you should:

Harvest in 2017 has been excellent!  

Single-source gourmet olive oils made using olives from our family groves.
Handpicked olives at the olive press in Puglia.

Thanks to the olives being in the pink of health this year, the harvest has been par excellence. And you know what that means – the oil is of truly exceptional quality. We are taking limited quantities of pre-orders for our 2017 gourmet olive oils. 

Freshly-pressed gourmet olive oils

Gourmet olive oils from Puglia, Italy
Olives are pressed within eight hours of being picked to ensure the best quality olive oil.

As Julia Child once said – “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces – just good food from fresh ingredients.” One of the freshest ingredients you can use in your food is our olive oils. Our olives are pressed within eight hours of being handpicked to ensure maximum freshness. And if you’re reading this in Autumn, it means olives are being harvested, freshly pressed, and bottled in our family farms in Puglia.

High on health and happiness

You are what you eat! No wonder then that Italians are such healthy and happy folks. Their healthy Mediterranean diets make generous use of extra-virgin olive oil.

EVOO’s much talked about health benefits are due to the high level of polyphenols – one of the many antioxidants found in olive oil. However, their numbers do take a downswing over time, which is why it is recommended that you consume only freshly-pressed EVOO.

We work with family-owned olive estates to bring single-source olive oil to our customers.
Michele’s grandfather who is the first-generation olive oil maker in Puglia.

Crafted by our family farmers

“Every family in Puglia has an olive grove for personal use and they can take their olives to the press. On my visit, there was a woman watching over the pressing of her olives to make sure they didn’t get mixed up with someone else’s.” One of our FarmStay guests, Jessica, who was in Puglia recently, said this on her Instagram account. The craft of producing authentic olive oil using traditional methods is a way of life for us here in Puglia and has been kept alive by local farmers and producers for many centuries now. At Especially Puglia, one of our biggest endeavors is to share this age-old Pugliese tradition with the rest of the world.

100% authentic olive oils

At Especially Puglia, we have redefined how food is made, distributed and consumed. Our farm-to-table approach ensures that you get the most authentic extra-virgin olive oil.  We have made the entire process transparent to our customers. Our FarmStay program allows consumers to become an active part of the life on our farms, and get a hands-on experience of how we actually make our gourmet olive oils.

Adopt An Olive Tree gift box makes for the perfect gift this holiday season!
Especially Puglia’s gourmet olive oils from Puglia.

The Extra Virgin Olive Oils of Puglia

The soul of Puglia lies in its olive orchards. Blanketing rolling hills that recede to craggy coastlines and crystalline Mediterranean seascapes, Pugliese olive trees represent millennia of more than just extra virgin olive oil production—they embody the lifeblood of a region.

When you taste Pugliese extra virgin olive oil, you taste the terroir from whence it came. Terroir, simply defined as the soil, topography and climate of a growing region, plays into the nuances of an oil's flavor profile, leaving traces and undertones ranging from grassy and floral to mineraly and woodsy. The soil of Northern Puglia, where we source our olives, consists of limestone overlaid with clay and sand with outcrops of mineral-rich red loam, which contributes to complexity of flavor and the persistence of taste on the palate.

While terroir play a principle role in the overall flavor profile of our extra virgin oils, you can't underestimate the importance of production method. By working hand-in-hand with master craftsmen and remaining true to the ethos of small-batch, artisanal production, we offer some of the purest extra virgin olive oils in Southern Italy.

This is how we make our extra virgin olive oils

Picking olives

Picking

We use small fans to shake the olive branches just gently enough to knock olives to the ground. We gather them in large tubs and bring them in for cleaning.

Cleaning olives 2

Cleaning

We pick off the stems and leaves, then wash the olives to remove any soil. No need to wash off pesticides, as they aren't used on our farms!

grinding olives

Grinding

The first step in breaking down the olive is to remove the flesh to release the oil - we do this with a mill, creating a paste that smells out of this world!

finished olive oil

Separating

This is more commonly known as "pressing" - which is when the olive oil is entered into presses / centrifuges and separated from the paste. Then water is separated out, and what's left is an olive oil bursting with flavor.

From Puglia to your table - Order our oils here

Adopt an olive tree with us and enjoy your own extra virgin olive oil. We are now taking pre-orders for the 2017 harvest of olio nuovo!

Adopt your tree here

From cow to plate, Caciocavallo Podolico cheese production explained

The Caciocavallo Podolico is a traditional cheese produced with cow’s milk from a specific breed of cattle living in designated areas of Puglia. Caciocavallo is a stretched curd cheese that is made by kneading curd whilst it’s still hot. This process makes the curd firm and elastic, but the Caciocavallo becomes quite hard as it ages.

The process:

The “creation” process of this cheese is difficult to describe – a delicate operation that requires practice and skills. It is produced throughout the year, but the full-pace production takes place from March to May only. The maturation time ranges from three months to over a year.

To really appreciate the love and craftsmanship going into each cheese, we broke them production process down into 10 steps:

  1. The first step is to acidify and heat the milk, the Caciocavallo Podolico is a Pasta Filata or stretched curd style in which the cheese proteins develop a unique character for forming long chains and will stretch out into long threads when heated.
  2. Once a small amount of lactic acid has been produced, rennet is added to develop a firm curd
  3. The curd is cut to release the whey and then stirred up
  4. The curd is heated again to reach desired moisture
  5. Then it is time to remove the whey and place the curd into draining bags
  6. The curds are then kept warm to achieve better flavor. This is a delicate step as the acid level and temperature needs to be perfect for the cheese to be able to stretch while keeping its shape later
  7. The stretch of the cheese realigns the proteins and gives it its unique texture
  8. The cheese is shaped by hand into its signature pear shape and then chilled in cold water
  9. The cheese goes into brine
  10. The final step is to hang the cheese to mature until ready to eat, usually aging about three months or more to reach the full and intense flavor that is associated with the Caciocavallo!

How to enjoy it?

The Caciocavallo Podolico is often enjoyed paired with bread and honey, or simply on its own. You can of course also try a barbequed version, the so called “Caciocavallo Impiccato” or inside an oven with a clay pot of terracotta.  Adopt a cow now and share the love!

 

A quintessential Italian recipe for Father’s Day

With Father’s Day just around the corner, here is a very special Italian recipe that’s easy to make and dads will love – Frittata con asparagi selvatici (that is, frittata with wild asparagus).

A Pugliese specialty made using farm eggs, wild asparagus and Especially Puglia’s extra virgin olive oil.

Homemade frittata, a Pugliese specialty

Serves 4

Ingredients:

250 g asparagus trimmed, stem ends discarded, cut into 2 inch lengths, coarse sea salt, 6 large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, 1/2 cup just grated pecorino, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 clove garlic, peeled, crushed, and finely minced

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat. Toss the asparagus and garlic and season lightly with coarse sea salt. Cook for a few minutes until just tender.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with fine sea salt, generous helping of pepper and pecorino.

Pour in the egg mixture, tilting the pan to distribute it. Lower the flame and cook the frittata for 5 minutes, lifting its cooked edges every once in a while, permitting the uncooked batter to flow beneath.

When the underside is deeply crusted, transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes allowing the topside to cook, until golden.

Remove the pan from the oven and slide the frittata onto a plate.

Especially Puglia’s Adopt an Olive tree now on Food52

Especially Puglia is excited to announce a new partner: Food52! Food52 is a rapidly-growing online community of cooks and food lovers who believe that “how you eat is how you live.” Just like us, the Food52 community is passionate about having authentic culinary experiences and access to quality ingredients to prepare great meals.


Our founder, Michele Iadarola, sat down with Food52 to tell them about our Adopt an Olive Tree program – and how it helps wellness-minded home cooks here in the States access farm-to-table olive oil from Pugliese farms.

Food52 was so excited about what we do that they are offering their readers the opportunity to adopt an olive tree through their website. We are also a part of Food52’s wedding registry – so newly-engaged readers, register now! With Food52 we are expanding our reach so that hundreds more can cook more sustainably, healthfully, and happily.

Read about Michele’s conversation with Food52 here, and learn more about the Adopt-an-Olive Tree program. To get your hands on this incredible single-origin, extra virgin olive oil, order here.

We are honored and thrilled that Food52 is partnering with us to bring the harvest of Puglia to tables across the country!

Olive Tree
Find Especially Puglia’s olive oil on the Food52 Registry!

Sott’oli: Vegetables in Olive Oil, The Italian Way

The best way to eat a vegetable is to pick it at its peak ripeness, when it is full of flavor and packed with nutrients. Farmers have known this in Puglia for generations. They have developed a technique that keeps the flavor of a perfectly ripe vegetable all year-long. The preservation method, known as sott’olio meaning “under the oil”, preserves some of the most delicate vegetables – artichokes, mushrooms, asparagus, olives – in extra virgin olive oil.

Italian Sottolio, Vegetables in Olive Oil

From start to finish this Pugliese style of preservation takes several days from harvesting to the final drip of olive oil. The result is a delectable side dish served year-round across the region.

How the Sott’olio Method Works

Every family has their own recipes for sott’olio in Puglia, but the process starts the same. At the peak of ripeness, farmers go out to the fields to harvest the vegetables. Many commercial brands do not use fresh vegetables; rather they use semi-preserved vegetables, which diminishes the flavor and quality of the final product. In Puglia, farmers take the ripe vegetables indoors to be cleaned and prepped for the cooking stage.  The vegetables are then boiled in white wine vinegar until they are cooked al-dente. They are then cooled to room temperature and tossed with salt and a mix of spices such as black pepper, chili pepper, garlic etc. This is where every family differs, with recipes transferred from generation to generation.

Once the vegetables have absorbed the flavors they are packed into jars, and covered with extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil acts as a natural preservative by keeping air away from the food, which is the source of spoilage. Unlike many commercial brands, that use cheaper oils like sunflower, Especially Puglia’s sott’oli is made with extra virgin olive oil. This ensures it has healthy benefits and keeps the natural flavors of the vegetables intact.

For a Puglia family, this is where the process would end, and they would enjoy vegetables for the rest of the year. To commercially sell sott’oli, a special technique to pasteurize the product is used to keep the integrity of the extra virgin olive oil as well as the flavor of the vegetables. The end result is a lovely vegetable, preserved in delicious olive oil.

Eating Sott’oli Style Vegetables

Sott’oli are delicious on an antipasto platter, as well as a side dish to a lovely fish or roast dinner. Olive tapenade or artichoke tapenade are perfect on top of toasted bread, as a bruschetta.  Less traditional, but just as delicious, is using the sott’olio vegetables in salads, using the olive oil to make a delightful dressing. The vegetables, prepared in this method will keep for up to two years if stored in a dry, cool place.

Where to Find Sott’olio Vegetables

Especially Puglia’s winter Farmshare includes asparagus and artichoke sott’olis as well as the artichoke and black olive tapenade. These high-quality traditional sott`oli vegetables are hard to find outside of Puglia. Sign up for your Farmshare now and enjoy these savory Pugliese delights.

Olive Harvest is here!

It is that time of the year again! During the month of November, all of Puglia smells of olive oil. The rich aroma hangs in the air miles away from the mills where the farmers hurry to bring in the harvest of olives. The time of the year when the people of Puglia crowd around the mills to watch the fresh extra-virgin olive oil stream out of the spout is just a few weeks away.

The harvest is a time for celebration. One of our founder Michele Iadarola’s favorite harvest traditions is farmers and their families waiting for their oil to flow from the press. As the freshly-pressed olive oil is distributed into tins, the the farmers pour it over bread with a pinch of salt and shared with everyone waiting.

For Michele and his family, the day of the harvest is a day of family gathering. After returning from the frantoio (mill), the family’s dinner begins with the best way to taste the fresh olive oil: the simplest of bruschetta. And of course, what celebration would be complete without a nice glass of red wine?

When you receive your order, be sure to use just as we do – spread it over bruschetta bread with a pinch of salt and pair it with a glass of robust red wine, such as the Primitivo or Negroamaro from Puglia!

Olive Oil

   

Contact Us

Especially Puglia
175 Pearl Street Dumbo
Brooklyn, NY 11201
+1 (718) 801-8844
info@especiallypuglia.com