Today has been the first day for what has seemed to be a very long time that the sun has finally managed to spend its time with us from dawn to dusk. What better activity to indulge in then but to go to our little olive grove and pick the unctuous berries from its branches.
This orto or allotment has been ours now for over fifteen years and the olive trees we planted then have grown into healthy teenagers. Of course, not all of them are bearing fruit this year (they never seem to do) but it is an absolute delight to pick the olives which range in colour from green to dark brown.
At home we will sort through our pickings and place the olives in well sealed, seasoned jars where they will mature into tasty morsels suitable for accompanying a party drink or just to savour as antipasto for our winter meals.
We are so lucky to still have our orto. It is full of pleasant memories for summer boules games, to badminton matches to celebratory gatherings or just for solitary summer afternoons under Lucchesia’s sun.
If only some in this world today could be able to offer branches from their own olive groves to their neighbours…
I want to own a small olive tree garden at some point in my life.
I do hope you will be able to some time.
It surely was fun to pick these olives and last night I managed to fill three jars the other day when I went to see the orto I made two jars one green one burgandy olive sotto ranno(meaning mountain water and sea salt this aidez in remove ing the bitterness of the olive then you can put them into olive oil with various flavourings to taste such as garlic peppercorn pepper) Enjoy!
I forgot any blemished olives have to be discarded as they may spoil the good olives. Incidentally the green olives are unripe and burgandy olives are ripe. Both arc delicious and if you can bear bitter taste you can taste the olive oil!