Olive Oil

Down the street there are three olive trees next to a stone garden wall. I've never seen them bear fruit; and I don't know why. There is nothing more graceful than its narrow, silvery green leaves and trunk of black, gnarled wood. Obviously, they are only for ornamental purposes. It seems a pity that the owner does not want to enjoy a seasonal crop of olives - pressed or pickled in brine, they're delicious.

Cultivated as early as 6000 years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean, its oil became a valuable commodity. Used not only as a fruit, the oil yielded from pressed olives had many purposes. Used for cooking, skin and hair care, as well as lamp and stove oil, olive oil was elemental to daily life. To this day, olive oil remains an integral part what is now known as the 'Mediterranean Diet.' Part of the healthful daily regimen of various Mediterranean cultures, olive oil is believed to be a major factor for lower blood cholesterol among these people.

Today olive oil is used mostly for cooking, but we still have varied uses for the grades of oil. Extra virgin olive oil (derived from the first pressing of the olive) is considered the finest available in terms of body, flavor, and aroma. Use it for marinades, dressings, or basting - saute lightly with it as well. Extra light olive oil has been refined to remove acidity (after the first pressing, the resulting oil is more acidic), and in the process loses some of its aroma, taste and color. It doesn't burn quite so easily, so it is used mainly in frying. Pure olive oil is a blend of the two. As you can expect, its uses fall somewhere in between the two - use it for sauces, dressings, or for frying, but consider a more flavorful or lighter olive oil depending on the dish.

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