arash – oleaoriginal https://oleaoriginal.com The Good Stuff Tue, 11 Dec 2018 18:12:06 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.26 RUZAFA MARKET https://oleaoriginal.com/ruzafa-market Mon, 03 Dec 2018 11:02:38 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=2258

We begin The Farmers Market edition by starting on the Spanish Mediterranean coast in the city of Valencia, where the OLEA project was born.

The city of Valencia stands out for the intense commercial activity of its streets and the maximum exponent of this are, without a doubt, the Farmers Markets. Distributed in the different neighborhoods of the city, the markets offer customers and neighbors the best fresh and quality product, in addition to a direct deal with consumers, which makes them meeting points for neighbors and modern food centers.

Likewise, increasingly, Farmers Markets are moving at the pace of the demands of today’s society and have been able to adapt to the needs of their customers, putting at their disposal a number of previously unimaginable services. Some of them have home service, have their own web page, open in the afternoon, have jewelers, banks, etc. all this, with the aim that the customer can make their purchases with the maximum possible comfort.

Also, in recent years, we have proceeded to the full or partial rehabilitation of many of our Farmers Markets, one of the most representative examples is the Mercado Central located in the center of the city.

Three emblematic markets of Valencia:

  1.  Central
  2.  Ruzafa
  3. Cabanyal

Close to our hearts at Olea is the Ruzafa Market, which is the first market we visit:

Ruzafa is one of the most characteristic neighborhoods of the city of Valencia. A cultural and artistic melting pot in which the neighbors have seen the community evolve, with the young people who are moving to what is emerging as a fashionable area of ​​Valencia, the artists and the multitude of trendy bars, cafes, and restaurants that are opening their doors in this peculiar enclave. Thus, this unique market looks spectacular with its recently painted facades of colors, a visual impact that continues inside thanks to the more than 160 stands, the constant coming and going of customers, the endless aromas, the number of products, which make daily shopping a pleasant task. In addition, many of the stops have home service, and this market also has parking, to facilitate purchases from customers.

The history goes back to the ninth century, but life in the market as we know it began in 1954 when it was designed by Julio Bellot Senet which was later approved by the city council and construction started in 1957. Over 60 years old, and spread out across almost 5,000sqm (53,800sqft) the Ruzafa Market has become a way of life amongst the Valencians.

]]> 2018 VINTAGE https://oleaoriginal.com/2018-vintage Fri, 26 Oct 2018 15:45:41 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=2225

2018, an exceptional vintage in Finca San Blan.

How do we know that 2018’s vintage is going to be exceptional? Because the weather has been perfect, the temperature and climate has been amazing, it rained just at the right time and the grapes were perfectly ripe ready to be hand picked. That’s what we have been doing for the last several weeks. Selecting and hand picking the perfect grapes for this years vintage. It’s a generations old tradition to hand pick the harvest which we believe is the heart of the passion for our wine making. We are true to our beliefs and that’s what makes our wine so exceptional.

2018 vintage image gallery

]]> A TRADITIONAL FRESH GAZPACHO https://oleaoriginal.com/2182-2 Tue, 07 Aug 2018 07:46:50 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=2182
The beginning of August, the vacation month of the year. Everybody is in beach and holiday mode and what better to accompany this joyful period and the summer sun with a traditional freshly homemade Spanish Gazpacho. There are many different recipes out there, ours is a simple version, quick and very easy to make.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1kg Ripe Plum tomatoes. (Tip: If it hasn’t been refrigerated for a couple days, better)
  • 1 small Cucumber
  • 1 clove of garlic for every kg of tomato
  • 1/2 Green Pepper for every kg of tomato
  • 100ml Olive oil
  • 4tbls Red wine vinegar or Sherry vinegar
  • 1 slice of white bread
  • Salt

 

Steps:

  1. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water then peel the tomatoes.
  2. Peel the cucumber and slice
  3. Chop the green pepper
  4. Soak the bread in water
  5. Add all to a blender along with the clove of garlic and blend for a minute. Then add salt, vinegar and the olive oil to taste. Continue until everything is smoothly blended.
  6. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl. Once finished put in the fridge and let it cool.

 

It is recommended to have the gazpacho as chilled as possible, but don’t add ice to it. Pour and enjoy with a glass of white wine. Preferably one of ours! Enjoy the Summer.

]]> A BEAUTIFUL CULTURE https://oleaoriginal.com/a-beautiful-culture Tue, 19 Jun 2018 09:52:00 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=2142 One of the most beautiful aspects of the Mediterranean culture is the relation people have with wine. In many countries government guidelines advise reducing alcohol content, in fact if it was for the government they would rather you not drink at all. So what about the millions of Mediterranean’s, whose diet is classified as one of the healthiest in the world and which includes a drink or two as an integral part? The answer lies in what they eat and how they drink.

It is of culture and tradition in the Mediterranean to accompany a meal with a glass of wine, even when alcohol is consumed without a meal it is usually accompanied with some tapas. This is a way of life, the healthy diet rich in olive oil, legumes, vegetables and little processed food and a glass of wine or two forms a daily routine amongst many households and it is thanks to this culture that the Mediterranean way of life is becoming more and more popular across the world.

There is something special about uniting with family and friends and sitting down to enjoy some great food and wine, it is a tradition that is passed on from generation to generation a way of life that brings everybody together. The Mediterranean diet is considered as one the healthiest in the world, but it is not only the diet, it’s the love of food and the lifestyle that makes it such a beautiful culture rich in history.

]]> AUTHENTIC VALENCIAN PAELLA https://oleaoriginal.com/authentic-valencian-paella Fri, 01 Jun 2018 13:16:32 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=2085

This is the start of a journey of what we at Olea think how authentic and traditional recipes from the Mediterranean should be prepared. As our wine comes from the beautiful regions of Valencia, we are going to begin in the City of Valencia and travel every month through the recipes posted here across the territories of the Mediterranean bringing the cultures and traditions of food for everyone to enjoy.

The most traditional dish in the region of Valencia is the Paella Valenciana. Why do we say Paella Valenciana and not Paella?. Well, because there are many versions of Paella and as we are starting our journey in Valencia we want to keep it as an Authentic Paella true to the locals.

One thing that makes the Paella Valenciana truly authentic is the formation of what is called “Socorrat”, a colloquial Valencian word which literally means to singe. This is the rice that gets crunchy and forms a crust at the bottom of the paella dish, an intrinsic part of the paella and where families and friends fight to get a taste of.

Ingredients:

  1. Olive oil (Spanish of course)
  2. Chicken.
  3. Rabbit.
  4. Saffron & a spring of fresh rosemary.
  5. Freshly grated tomatoes.
  6. Salt.
  7. Rice (short grain, Valencian)
  8. White lima beans.
  9. Flat green beans.
  10. Water.

For 4 people:

  1. 10ml Olive oil
  2. 500gr. Pcs of chicken
  3. 500gr. Pcs of rabbit
  4. 2 Freshly grated tomatoes.
  5. 250gr. White lima beans.
  6. 250gr. Flat green beans. Cut to pieces
  7. 500gr. Rice (short grain, Valencian)
  8. 1.25 L of water
  9. Saffron
  10. Salt

Step 1:

Using a Paella dish, add the olive oil and heat up well, but do not burn. Once nice and hot add the chicken and rabbit. fry it well moving it frequently to seal in the flavour and continue to fry until golden brown on all sides.

Step 2:

Once the chicken and rabbit is golden brown add the flat green beans and the lima beans and fry together for 2-3 minutes. After this period add the freshly grated tomato and mix.

Step 3:

Once the tomato is fried and almost evaporated, add the water and turn up the heat for 5-7 minutes. During this times is when you add the saffron, the sprig of rosemary and salt.

Step 4:

Once the water starts to boil you add the rice in the form of a cross making sure it is at least 1 finger above the water. Once added mix the rice until it is evenly and thinly spread out and leave on a high heat for the first 10 minutes, reducing the heat gradually afterwards making sure it doesn’t burn, but enough for the socorrat to form, a light brown colour. Once you see this you’re ready to go.

Step 5:

Take off the heat and let it sit for 5-7 minutes. Then serve and enjoy with a glass of Olea Red Crianza.

–

It is tradition in Valencia to put the paella dish in the middle of the table and share amongst friends and family, not everybody likes this but for us here at Olea it tastes better.

The first paella following the OLEA recipe

This paella was prepared in Miami on June 24, 2018

This paella was prepared in Miami and due to the unavailability of the flat green beans they were substituted for local products, but always keeping true to an authentic Paella Valenciana.

We will continue our journey through the region of Valencia with more traditional and local dishes.

]]> AGRICULTURA SOSTENIBLE https://oleaoriginal.com/agricultura-sostenible Fri, 01 Jun 2018 10:43:12 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=1750 Sustainability and the surrounding environment form part of the fundamentals of our wine-making process. With the natural elaboration and manual harvests, we strive to make sure to keep true to our artisanal traditions handed down from previous generations. Care for natural untouched surroundings is a priority and this is shown through a series of sustainable practices that guarantee the quality and respects the environment. We minimize the use of agrochemicals and the generation of waste, as well as prioritizing during our harvest all available resources.

]]> MEDITERRANEAN FLAVOR https://oleaoriginal.com/mediterranean-flavor Fri, 01 Jun 2018 09:59:32 +0000 https://oleaoriginal.com/?p=1742 The Mediterranean, the blessed lands of sun and sea and olive trees. And from this history is born the tradition of olive oil, bread and wine which can be found on every kitchen table across the welcoming homes of every  Mediterranean Country. Olea has started its journey with one of these ingredients, Wine. Why? because it brings warmth, joy, pleasure and unites families and friends. This is the story of Olea, built on love of food and passion for culture and a way of life unique to the Mediterranean.

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