Four days ago the olive buds we showed you a couple weeks ago started to open. The bloom will last for another 7-10 days. The petals have already started to fall and infertile flowers will fall off through out the blooming process. At the bottom of the page is a slide show of some extreme closeup shots of the blossoms. we included an image from Wikipedia to allow you to identify the different part of the flower.

Starting in early June we will have what is referred to as “June Drop.” “June Drop” is when the tree decides how much fruit it is going to produce and drop fertile fruit to the ground because it cannot carry all the fruit that has set. The image to the right shows a variety of bloom stages. at the top you can see a blossom that opened this morning at is showing its anthers. Just slightly below you can see two that have already bloomed and  dropped their petals.  The entire right side of the blossoms were pollinated (yellow specs) and they will start to dry up and drop their petals in the next few days.

As we explained in the previous post bees and other insects play a small role in the pollination process. The little Carpenter ant is doing his part to spread pollen from one blossom to the next while it is scavenging for food. He was just hanging out, I didn’t spot him until I was moving the camera around trying to find the blossoms on my screen.

The Cross Section Of A Blossom - Courtesy of Wikipedia

Ingredients: sugar, distilled vinegar, cider vinegar, turmeric, celery seed and garlic

There will be one 1st Place winner that will receive a case of these Sweet and Hot Jalepenos.  Another 5 runners up will receive 1 jar of these Jalepenos that we’re trying to name.  The winner will be chosen by Great Olive.  In the event that there is a duplicate name the first person who commented with it will be given credit for that name.  The contest will end on 5/30/12 at 9:00 pm PST.

Submissions:

• Hoppin’ JalaPenna – Lynn W.
• Penna’s Peter Piper Pickled Peppers - Laurie L.
• Red Hot ‘n Green - Margot C.
• Prairie Fire Pickles - Cissy C.
• Prairie Fire Diablos - Cissy C.
• Prairie Fire Poppers - Cissy C.
• Prairie Fire Rings - Cissy C.

Setting up your tent a Farmer’s Market can be a daunting task especially if it is your first time. Each Market has their own setup and display rules or regulations. If done properly your visit can be rewarding both financially and socially.

Maurice and Cindy Penna have decided that their days of setting up a tent are over. So they decided to build a sales trailer for the farmers market. They are hoping to have it completed by the end of the month.

Complete with whisper quiet generator, air ride and many of the modern comforts of home. But more importantly stocked with all the Great Gourmet Product you love from GreatOlives.com. We will have Stuffed Olives, Meyer Lemons, Olive Spreads, Spicy Beans, Parmesan Asiago Cheese and much more on board.

The Penna Sales Trailer will accept Visa, Master Card, Discover Card, American Express and of course we gladly accept cash. Keep an eye out for us at the Chico Farmer’s Market.

How is it that our government did not realize we have a revenue stream from California Olives when according to the Western Farm Press, California boosts the economy by almost $500 Million ($500,000,000.00) and here are the facts:

• 3,555 jobs are created by ripe olive growers as a result of their business activities and spending in a variety of farming and non-farming sectors.
• Nearly $14.7 million in tax revenue and other business licenses and fees are generated from the economic activity created by ripe olive growers.
• California’s ripe olive growers have a significant impact on the state’s economy, yielding nearly $493.6 million in annual economic activity – or nearly $1.4 million dollars each day of the year.

They added that data came from sources such as the Census of Agriculture; U.S. Department of Agriculture; California Department of Food and Agriculture’s California Agricultural Production Statistics 2010-2011; and, University of California Cooperative Extension’s Sample Costs to Establish and Produce Table Olives. http://westernfarmpress.com/orchard-crops/ripe-olives-boost-california-economy-almost-500-million-yearly

Patrick Fine, who oversees such agreements as Millennium’s vice president of compact operations, said he does not believe that the investment in Morocco will harm California producers.  Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/17/MNTA1KSF5N.DTL&ao=all#ixzz1uDLYkPI0 It sure wont help it now will it. If these poor rural communities have a crop they need a place to sell it, right? They will either sell it locally or export it. Either way it is bound to affect our local olive farmers and not in a positive way.

“I sympathize with the point of view of the California olive growers,” Fine said, adding that Millennium did research to determine whether the compact with Morocco would adversely affect growers here and found that California table olives were meeting only 50 percent of U.S. demand, and local olive oil only 2 percent. “We never want (Millennium’s) investments to compete with America.” Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/09/17/MNTA1KSF5N.DTL&ao=all#ixzz1uDMa8evw

So if California was only meeting 50% of the demand, why did we invest in a foreign country? Wouldn’t it have been better spent in California were we have strict rules, regulations and laws governing the production and processing? These same rules, regulations and laws to not apply to fruit and vegetables that are imported.

Maybe it is time we start trending back to buying US products, Local Products putting the wind back in the sails of our economy.

Cindy has an amazing green thumb, though she will tell you that she has nothing compared to her mom and sisters. Cindy like Maurice is very modest about her talents, and the proof is in the pictures of her flowers. She has an eye for design, not just in the flower garden but interior design as well. When I need landscaping design help, Cindy is always the one I go to. I pick her brains all the time trying to improve my property. For more images of Cindy’s Flowers, we have added a slideshow at the bottom for you to enjoy.

While Spring has arrived and the flowers are blooming, the olives trees are starting to push up buds. These buds in a few weeks time will turn to flowers. When we hit full bloom this year we will keep our fingers cross while knocking on wood, praying that the weather stays nice and see us all the way through. As many of you know, last year we got a surprise rain a cold weather that killed the tree pollination.

Two Flowers will develop on an olive tree, staminate  (the male) which has an aborted or degenerate pistil. The perfect flower (the Female) which is easily identified by its prominent pistil and stamen . Only Perfect Flowers  can produce fruit. There are literally hundreds of flowers per twig. Bees play a small role in the pollination process, cross pollination increases production. Keep checking back as we plan to take pictures of the trees this year from the start of bloom all the way through harvest. It should be interesting to see the different stages of growth.

If there is an image you would like to see a little long just roll you mouse pointer over the picture and it will pause for you. Then when you are ready to move on, move the mouse pointer off the picture.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. Whole Sicilian Olives
• 1/2 Tbs. Anise
• 1 Tbs. Crushed Red Pepper
• 3 oz. Wine Vinegar (or substitute for your favorite flavor of Vinegar)
• 5 oz. Olive Oil
• 1/2 Large Onion (chunked)
• 1/2 Large Red Bell Pepper (chunked)
• 3 Large Carrots (peeled)

Directions:

• Start by cracking your olives, this step is explained in the video below.
• add olives, onions, red bell pepper, carrots, anise and crushed red pepper to large bowl.
• combine olive oil and vinegar then pour over olive salad mix.
• Gently stir ingredients until you have a nice mixture of marinade and seasonings.
• This should be stored in the refrigerator for four days prior to serving. Shake the container a couple times a day to mix the marinade and keep in from settling at the bottom.

While your savoring the delightful flavors of that cheese dip, we will be hard at work with two new flavors. Though I cannot tell you what they are yet I will tell you that the first round of the recipe went well and the flavor was amazing! These new cheese dip or spreads are sure to excite your taste buds…

If Mother nature will play nice for the next few weeks there is a good possibility of a decent size crop. Knock on wood, cross your fingers, say a prayer or whatever it is you do in times like this, lol. Start watching our Fresh Olive update In September if you are interested in fresh olives. But more importantly continue to watch our blog as we plan to start shooting some pictures of the different stages of bloom and pollination and explaining what is going on with the crop and our expectations.

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Do you know why Parmesan and Asiago cheeses are great when blended together? Asiago cheese is and Italian cow’s milk cheese that changes texture dependent on aging it is used at all stages. It has a nice smooth texture when it is fresh and a crumbling type when it is aged. Aged is generally used for grating in pastas, soups and sauces and is reminiscent of Parmesan, which is why they complement each other very well.

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Known in English language as Parmesan, this granular cheese has a hard texture. Parmigiano-Reggiano gets its name from the areas in Italy that produce this cheese. Italian law prohibits any other region from labeling their cheese as Parmigiano-Reggiano and European law protects it as a destination of origin.

Parmesan is made from cow’s milk but more importantly, it is made from whole milk from the morning milking and mixed with naturally skimmed milk. It takes over one year to create this wonderfully pungent flavorful cheese. So which came first, Parmesan or Asiago Cheese?

Parmesan-Asiago Cheese Dip

From M&CP Farms

Parmesan-Asiago Dip is the perfect blend of flavors to compliment raw vegetables, breads, & crackers. Made from Parmesan and Asiago cheeses with our extra virgin olive oil and spices. You can also use it in place of mayonnaise in your favorite pasta salad or potato salad. Speaking of potatoes, try a teaspoon in your mashed potatoes. Use it in place of mayo on your favorite sandwich. Mix it with mayo and use it with your artichokes.