Blog

  It is the most wonderful time of the year. The OLIVES are milling And Abby is singing It’s the most wonderful time of the year. It is the hap-happiest season of OIL. With OLIVES a dropping and growers arriving And all our good friends coming to call Our milling season is the happiest time […]

It is August! And it is Tomato Time at IL Fiorello!            The bounty of our gardens is keeping us busy in the kitchen. Isaiah and Abby are making tomato everything, sauce, dried tomatoes, tidbits, and roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes and our Mission Olive Oil are a perfect August pairing.  Nick planted […]

We are in full-on olive blossom set! Olive pollen everywhere. The Pendolino trees are doing their job of pollinating all the other olives. The Suisun wind is helping move the pollen around the Grove. This year looks like it will be a good year for production.  Given that last year was so poor for everyone, […]

GOOD OIL CURES ALL and BAD OIL MAKES YOU SICK Italian Proverb What is good oil? Good oil is fresh, new, well stored, bottled in dark bottles, and is extra virgin certified in California; passing both chemistry and taste panel certification. What is bad oil? An oil that does not pass the certification standards of California. An oil […]

  It is time again to prune the olives – but didn’t I just do that. A whole year has passed so quickly. Italian Proverb “Prune each tree so a swallow can fly through the tree without touching its wings.” Get those shears sharpened. Clean the blades, Grab a good hat, a flexible pair of […]

It has now been ONE YEAR since we were last able to host a formal olive oil tasting!  ONE YEAR! How can all this happen and where did 2020 go?? It went by .. and we are glad it is gone and behind us.     COVID has definitely changed our business. We cannot do […]

2020 has been quite the year for us all. In its honor, we have written our very own version of the Christmas classic “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. We look forward to a better year for health, happiness and many more olives and we wish the same for you! While we are waiting for 2021 […]

When the final co-milled oil is done, the mill is clean, and the weather turns cold, I know that it is time to bring out the pizzelle maker. Pizzelle are delicious, tiny, very beautiful cookies. Named because they are flat and sweet. Like little lady sweet pizzas. I have been making pizzelles since 1975, yes […]

Tuscan Pan Forte is an ancient, and may I say a better, version of today’s fruitcake. Very delicious with lots of unique flavors, easy to make, and even easier to eat.  A colleague in Italy, Judy Witts Francini, (divinacucina.com), posted a recipe that she loves.  She has a wonderful blog and cooking school near Florence, […]

With everyone in “shelter in place”, we are all trying to figure out what we have in the pantry/refrigerator/ freezer. And, what is good and what is not good. Relax most is good. However, use the FIFO policy, first in first out, of the refrigerator and pantry. Eat fresh, if you can, during this difficult […]