Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeWednesday, Jun. 18, 2008
Food for Thought: Finicky about your olive oil? Try this one
By Loretto J. Hulse, Herald staff writer
What do winery tasting rooms in California have that we don't?
Olive oil for dipping bread between sips.
Wine and olive oil is almost always paired at California wineries, said Anne Nash of Walla Walla.
"Often each winery will plant a few olive trees along with their grapes to press their own oil for the tasting room," she said.
Wineries can't do that here. Olive trees -- shrubs actually -- are evergreens so they don't go dormant in the winter.
"Our winters would kill them," she said. "Remember, olives originated in the Mediterranean."
Nash also found that many of the olive oils she'd used and enjoyed in California weren't available in this area. So she did what any good olive grower would do -- she got on the phone and had her son Jason Nash ship her some of the family's own brand, Finicky Friar. (Oops, did I forget to mention she was in the business?)
She also began to peddle her family's oil to various stores.
Finicky Friar has a mild, buttery flavor that takes well to all types of cooking and foods, even baking. That's because its oil is pressed from California mission olives. This variety -- there are hundreds of olive varieties, each with its own subtle flavor nuances -- is what the Spanish missionaries first planted.
You can find Finicky Friar oil at Yokes Fresh Markets in the Tri-Cities and at Andy's, Harvest Foods and Merchant's in Walla Walla.
Wineries haven't yet stocked it in their tasting rooms, but Nash is working on that.
Market hours change
The Benton City Community Market will now be open an extra hour. You'll find the market each Sunday at the Benton City Lions Club, 1100 Ellen St.
The new hours are from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., but vendors often set up at 8 a.m. for early shoppers.
For more information, call market manager Randy Rutledge, 947-7332.
New read
The book: You Can Eat That! Awesome Food for Kids with Diabetes by Robyn Webb, M.S.
Cost: $20
Best for: Colorful, healthy and delicious foods that kids will actually love to eat that are truly good for them. Webb offers ideas for home, lunch boxes, after-school snacks, sweets, picnics, parties and more.
* Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com.
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