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NATURALLY HEALTHY www.gourmetnews.com n MARCH 2018 n GOURMET NEWS N H 9 2 Stonewall Kitchen Dill & Chive Crepe Mix French crepes are a snap to make with Stonewall Kitchen's new Dill & Chive Crepe Mix. The savory and subtly herbaceous blend of dried ingredients comes together with just eggs, water and a few tablespoons of butter or oil to form a light and airy batter that cooks up in mere minutes once intro- duced to a hot skillet. The resulting crepes are delicate but flavorful, the perfect vehicle for a fried egg, sautéed vegetables, dressed greens or cheese. Swap out bagels for crepes filled with smoked salmon and cream cheese, or try stuffing these thin pancakes with your favorite sandwich top- pings for an ele- gant spin on a lunchtime staple. Morning or night, the Dill & Chive Crepe Mix is ideal for preparing de- licious and inventive meals. For more information, contact Stonewall Kitchen at 800.826.1752 or go to www.stonewallkitchen.com. California Olive Ranch Invests in Sustainability By Lorrie Baumann A $35 million investment by a U.S.-based in- stitutional investor and the company's exist- ing investors will allow California Olive Ranch to increase its production capacity while also adding an organic product and re- ducing the company's carbon footprint. "This investment will accelerate the future of the American olive oil movement, inno- vate our sustainable harvesting methods and revolutionize our production technology," said California Olive Ranch President Gregg Kelley. "It indicates the great faith that the investment community has in what we're doing and the future of California olive oil." With this new investment, California Olive Ranch will be expanding its produc- tion, both by planting more trees on its own property and by entering into long-term part- nerships with other growers who will plant more olive trees on their land. The plan goes well beyond just planting more trees and pumping out more oil, though – it's also about new ideas for practices that can add to the sustainability of California agriculture. Managing Water Scarcity California Olive Ranch's plan to increase production in California comes in the context of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, a set of laws enacted and signed by Governor Gerry Brown in 2015 that, for the first time in the state's history, established a framework for sustainable local groundwater management that prohibits groundwater-dependent basins from a prac- tice known as water mining, the extraction of more water than can be replaced through natural processes. Under the law, Califor- nia's major groundwater basins will be reg- ulated to bring them into a balance of pumping and recharge. Kelley predicts that the new law will have a dramatic impact on California's agriculture. "Water is going to be an ever more precious resource," he said. "Water is going to be the major economic factor in production agriculture in California over the next 10 to 20 years. It will affect what crops will be planted where." Olives are an ideal crop, according to Kel- ley, for a regulatory environment that the California Department of Water Resources says is designed to make water conservation a way of life in California. Olives are low- input, not just in terms of the water they re- quire, but also in terms of their vulnerability to insect pests and weeds, which means that growers don't have to spray them with a lot of chemicals or give them a lot of water to persuade them to yield an economic crop. "We can plant the trees on soils that aren't optimal for other crops and still have a good production level," Kelley said. "Even con- ventional orchards are as close to organic as you can get [without actually being certified for organic production]." Growing the Soil Through a partnership with California State University Chico, widely known as Chico State, California Olive Ranch has, for the past year and a half been involved in a proj- ect called the Regenerative Agriculture Ini- tiative. This project has involved redirecting the pomace, the olive mass that's left over after the oil is pressed from it, into compost piles instead of using it as cattle feed. "Today the byproduct of the production process is fed to cows. We say that's why California cows are so happy, but it's not a long-term viable solution," Kelley said. That pomace contains, in addition to valu- able organic matter, a variety of other nutri- ents, including potassium. Potassium deficiency causes olive trees to set less fruit and results in smaller fruit. The mineral is also important to many other physiological processes for the trees, and adequate levels assist the trees in resisting the effects of drought. Potassium can be provided to the trees with chemical fertilizer, but composting the pomace and returning it to the soil under the trees increases the soils' organic matter, which helps it retain water, as well as merely providing the trees with necessary potas- sium. This composting process is an impor- tant part of the company's plans to cut its carbon footprint through regenerative agri- culture practices, Kelley said. "Many of the building blocks for this are already in place with our large-scale composting operation," he said. "We have already converted a por- tion of the orchards to organic and will con- tinue to do so. We think the regenerative agriculture approach will bring benefits there as well." Educating Both Growers and Consumers California Olive Ranch will be spreading the knowledge that the company is acquiring through this pilot composting project to its grower partners around California and through educational institutions around the country, even as the company responds to in- creasing demand in the American market for higher quality olive oils. That demand is the result of greater awareness among con- sumers about the health benefits of high- quality extra virgin olive oils over lower-quality olive oils, Kelley said. "Extra virgin olive oil is an incredibly healthy prod- uct," he said. "Many people haven't been ex- posed to extra virgin olive oil, and the growth in that awareness is probably the pri- mary driver of our growth." "If you look at the shelf, it looks different than it did 10 years ago," he added. "Con- sumers are continuing to buy the higher qual- ity product." Kelley noted that a decade or so ago, extra virgin olive oil accounted for about 52 percent of American olive oil sales. Today, it's about 70 percent, he said. "We're seeing less of the lower quality oil on the shelves, with some of the smaller players finding it easier to get shelf space," he said. "I think those preferences will continue." While the heart of California Olive Ranch's production is in California and is ex- pected to continue that way, the company is working to meet that growing demand for high-quality olive oils through imports from Italy, through its Lucini Italia subsidiary and through its recently announced Lucini brand of oils produced in Argentina. The company is also looking to expand in other South American countries as well as in other re- gions around the world where high-quality olives can be grown. "You cannot make high-quality olive oil out of bad fruit," Kel- ley said. "This requires quality control throughout the production process as well as through the distribution network. Olive oil has four enemies: time, light, heat and oxy- gen. We have to look after all of those to maintain quality all the way to the con- sumer's palate." Some of the $35 million in new funds will be invested in more automated harvesting and milling equipment, continuing a mecha- nization process that allows the company to compete in the global olive oil market, par- ticularly as California's minimum wage rises to $15 an hour. "We'll continue to invest in automation methodologies, starting in the field but continuing throughout our supply chain That's part of the commitment to make sure that our employees get good benefits and a living wage," Kelley said. The employ- ees also benefit from a workplace safety record that's well above average for the agri- culture industry, and the mechanization con- tributes to that safety. "Training is linked directly to quality control and is managed by a full-time safety manager," Kelley said. With this new investment, Kelley's feet are firmly planted in California's soils, but his eyes are on the horizon. "Ultimately, my job is to notice that the world is changing for the better," he said, "and that we're part of the leadership team that's leading that change." The Art of Snacking Smart Pearl and Johnny Beetroot & Garlic Dip takes people from "I don't like beets" to "Oh, maybe I love beets!" in just one bite. Com- bine with sour cream (or non- dairy alternative), hummus or mayo. Enjoy as a vegetable dip, a wrap or sandwich spread or as a sauce. Try as a sauce on fish tacos or add to shredded vegeta- bles for "pink slaw." Ingredients include organic beetroot, organic garlic, organic black pepper, organic onion and sea salt. Like all Pearl and Johnny dip mixes, the ingredients are or- ganic, non-GMO, real food ingre- dients, an approach the company refers to as "The Art of Snacking Smart." Other flavors in the line include Spinach & Leek, Chili & Lime, and Maple & Onion. Each mix is packaged in a single-serve stand- up pouch that retails for $5.00. For more information, contact Pearl and Johnny at 888.437.3235 or go to www.pearlandjohnny.com. The Inimitable Le Gruyère AOP Switzerland In 1115 A.D., a unique, savory cheese was discovered in western Switzerland, a re- gion with rolling fields, scenic mountains and a majestic castle. This place, Gruyères, is the origin of the only true Le Gruyère AOP, with the unrivaled quality and flavor known around the world for more than 900 years. Today, Gruyère AOP is made in 170 small batches, with the raw milk of cows that are sustained in local fields, and no additives or preservatives – it is 100 per- cent natural. The same recipe is used from nine centuries ago, and the maturation is completed in local cellars and caves under strict supervision. As such, Le Gruyère AOP is still tightly linked with the local, long-held traditions and terroir of the re- gion. Each taste of Le Gruyère AOP is a unique experience, centuries in the making. Gruyère AOP is 100 percent natural, 100 percent additive free, and naturally free of lactose and gluten, as it has been since it was first produced in 1115 AD. For more information, contact Le Gruyere AOP at +41 (0) 26 921 84 10 or go to www.gruyere.com.