Fall brings a favorite opportunity in our olive rich area - harvesting olives the old fashioned way by combing branch after branch of our friend's olive trees. She has few enough trees to do it this way rather than the more mechanized version used by larger places. What a wonderful way to spend a day with friends.
My friend Sheila's trees were laden this year, ready to be swept into the nets below. Yesterday was in the high 60's with intermittent sun, the three dogs were bounding around begging someone to throw a stick for them to fetch and six of us were eager to engage in the ancient, almost meditative practice of harvesting olives.
A view from the olive grove located about 40 minutes from my house and closer to the mountains.
Sheila prepared a delicious, home cooked feast for the workers. We ate, chatted and shared snippets of our lives in Italy, rich with new-for-us experiences that endear us to this land, this place.
After pressing, each couple's reward is five liters of olive oil. I'm sure it enhances the heart benefits of olive oil to have combed the trees branch by branch and harvested the olives with our own hands.
Sheila has a couple of trees with eating olives rather than those meant to be crushed for oil. The green olives from Abruzzo, our area of Italy, are scrumptious and rated highly nationally.
Olive oil is used in products as well. Soap, of course, but also shampoo, body wash and lotion. My skin and hair love them.
It's hard to overestimate the value of slow, simple, earth based activities further connecting me to all that is- the trees, the sun, the earth, fresh air, fresh food, friends, easy banter, play with a dog, being a part of the cycle of that which feeds me. I'm grateful.
That looks so wonderful and I am SO HUNGRY! It's almost Noon here on this day before the elections.
ReplyDeleteYou obviously made it home. We just re-scheduled our trip to Florida, cancelled during Sandy, and are scheduled to fly out this Wednesday. Mother Nature is really screwing with us. There's another Nor'easter on track to hit landfall around long Island this Wed. We change planes mid-afternoon @ JFK.
I feel terrible for the folks in NJ & the Rockaways & Staten Is. What a terrible terrible time and I know only too well how terrible.
Your beautiful adopted country looks so lovely. Enjoy the sunshine, the olive oil & good friends. xo
These olives are food they're so fresh and robust! I read about the Nor'easter- cruel after Sandy- so I hope you're safe and get to FL in one piece. My Honey is from NYC and has family/ friends there so we're keeping track of the problems. Yes, I'm enjoying life here. Thanks.
DeleteIt took me back to my childhood; though, to be honest, it was extremely hard work for my parents and their friends, and at times the weather was most cruel.
ReplyDeleteRosaria, I should have prefaced it by saying we only had 30 trees to do. If there were lots more and the weather was rainy and/or cold while working, it would be a very different story. As it was, it was a delightful day and my friend has a relaxed attitude about how many we harvested since she's being a good steward of her land and her financial livelihood doesn't depend on olives.
DeleteThat sounds like a marvelous experience!
ReplyDeleteThat it was.
DeleteThis is so scrumptious and beautiful it almost hurts. But I think my blood flow is reviving just reading your words and devouring your pictures.
ReplyDeleteIt was that kind of restorative experience where every aspect was just right. Ahh.
DeleteSounds so dreamy like something from a film, the harvesters getting together with good friends, to work and share a good meal, afterwards, glowing from their endeavours!
ReplyDeleteSheila had a table in the yard where we had coffee and pastries mid-morning and then the big farm table inside for the dinner all made by her. There was lots of laughter and light hearted exchanges. If you saw it in a movie you might not believe it could be true but there it is. The kind of day that fills my heart.
DeleteI never knew that's how olives are harvested - but your pictures and the description of the day make it seem to be idyllic - though I'm certain that those who depend on olives for their living are not usually so relaxed in their gathering.
ReplyDeleteThank you, for this. This was lovely.
Nor did I until I moved here and answered Sheila's call for help. I can't tell you how intimate it felt to be combing these branches. Intimacy with a tree was new for me. When young girls get together it's not uncommon to end up combing each other's hair. It was like that. Yes, lovely.
Deletei watched how they harvest olives on one of those reality shows....pretty cool....and mmm i love olives...we make olive sandwiches in the summer....mmm...just thinking about them makes my mouth water...
ReplyDeleteThese are the best olives- I thought I liked olives before but these are altogether better!
DeleteGreat photos...those Green Olives from Abruzzo are sooooo good. I order them at a restaurant here in phoenix, can't get enough. Great trip through the olive fields!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize they were shared around the world, although it makes sense. There almost crisp when they're fresh, like food.
DeleteWhen I rafted the Grand Canyon, the women guides used pure olive oil on their skin. In the heat and dry air, they said it was the only thing that really worked. My skin cracked despite liberal applications of (expensive!) multi-ingredient lotion. Sometimes the simplest things ARE the best (although you are unkind to torture me with the picture of those Abruzzo olives waiting to be eaten...)
ReplyDeleteMothers here use olive oil on their babies skin. The olives, cruelty notwithstanding, are fabulous.
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