The Winter Table

a community of local makers

Each year as winter approaches, Edible East Bay looks forward to the start of the California olive harvest. This is a celebratory time in traditional olive-growing regions, where growers, millers, and cooks alike share an intimate appreciation for how the vibrant flavors of newly milled extra virgin olive oils enhance so many of their favorite foods.

For our Winter Table, we gathered a host of California olive growers and millers who produce exceptional products, and we also invited several local chefs who know how to show off the season’s new olive oils on a celebratory table. We also added decor from local artists and shops to enliven our Winter Table for the holiday season.

 

 

1. Kim and Matt Scarlata brought Matt’s Sicilian family heritage to life as they planted olive trees for extra virgin olive oil at their Scarlata Farms in Tracy. The ACRE Kitchen & Bar Olive-Oil-Washed Martinis they’re holding are made with their Scarlata EVOO (recipe on page 31). scarlatafarmscellar.com
2. Karen and Malcolm Bond produce their Bondolio Olive Oils in Winters. Visit on Sunday, December 8 for their Holiday Open House to taste their organic olio nuovo, extra virgin olive oil, and co-milled mandarin orange oil right at their traditional Sicilian orchard and frantoio (mill). bondolio.com
3. Alice Medrich is the award-winning author of many beloved dessert cookbooks. Turn to page 34 for a new cake recipe she created to feature Renewal Mill baking flour and Tres Osos and Bondolio olive oils. alicemedrich.com
4. Chef instructor and food writer Viola Buitoni shares the food language and culture of her native Italy through classes and immersive off-the-beaten-path food tours. Find her Marinated Anchovies recipe from her cookbook, Italy by Ingredient on page 33. violasitaly.com
5. As president of McEvoy Ranch, Samantha Dorsey helps carry forward the pioneering work that Nan McEvoy began in 1990 to bring the production of exceptional Tuscan-style extra virgin olive oil to Northern California. mcevoyranch.com 
6. Dani Fisher, co-owner and operator of Like Family, produces extra virgin olive oils and co-milled citrus and chili oils. The olios feature olives harvested from co-owner Evan Loewy’s family estate in Carmel Valley and like-minded growers. wearelikefamily.com
7. A native of Bergamo, Italy, Chef Michele Belotti brought his Spaghetti Pomodoro e Burrata from Belotti Ristorante (5403 College Ave, Oakland) to our Table. Dine at Belotti or cook at home with Belotti’s renowned handmade pastas and sauces from the Bottega at 4001B Piedmont Ave, Oakland, and make sure to drizzle your dish with olio nuovo. belottirb.com
8. Olive Truck inventor Samir Bayraktar created his mobile olive mill in Turkey and brought it to California, where he now mills his extra virgin olive oils on-site in choice orchards up and down the state. His exquisite range of unique California extra virgin olive oils features varieties from the delicate Arbequina to the rich and fruity Tuscan Blend and intense Picual. olivetruck.com 
9. Taste through a curated collection of new-harvest California extra virgin olive oils and locally handmade vinegars at the Quail & Olive, where you’ll also find many olive oil–philic pantry items like pastas, sauces, rices, and spices plus olives, olive wood table items, culinary gifts, and more. 14 Del Fino Place, Carmel Valley | quailandolive.com
10. The Winter Table is pleased to welcome Luretík, an esteemed producer from California’s Santa Ynez Valley. This certified organic grower of Italian cultivars from Sicily, Puglia, and Tuscany produces award-winning, globally recognized estate-grown extra virgin olive oils. luretik.com
11. Pay a visit to family-owned Il Fiorello at their gorgeous Suisun Valley farm. Their mill, visitor center, and retail shop are surrounded by the organic groves that provide olives for their exceptional extra virgin olive oils. Make reservations for a tasting of unique varietal oils presented with garden-rich food pairings as shown on our Winter Table. 2625 Mankas Corner Rd, Fairfield | ilfiorello.com
12. A fifth- and sixth-generation family farming operation, 43 Ranch produces world-class extra virgin olive oils from their grove on the Central Coast. Their milling expertise helps win prestigious awards internationally for their own oils and those of their custom crush customers. Visit their tasting room at 65340 Los Lobos Rd, San Ardo. 43ranch.com 
13. The Tres Osos certified organic olive ranch is nestled into the foothills of Carmel Valley. Their 2023 harvest Taggiasca Extra Virgin Olive Oil (milled at 43 Ranch), awarded the coveted Double Gold from ATHENA International in Greece, is featured in Alice Medrich’s cake recipe. tresososoliveoil.com
14. You’re surrounded by olive, pear, apple, and citrus orchards at Gold Ridge Organic Farms, and you can watch the olive mill in action from the farm shop. Add a set of olive wood salad tongs to their Dynamic Salad Duo of estate-grown Tuscan Blend EVOO and Apple Cider Vinegar and you have a fantastic gift. 3387 Canfield Rd, Sebastopol | goldridgeorganicfarms.com
15. The Olivina was established in 1881 with a planting of Mission olive trees. Today, there are many more cultivars growing at this Livermore Valley estate, where the Crohare family mills their own extra virgin olive oils and provides milling services for others. Come for a tasting at the mill every third Sunday or visit weekly at the Pleasanton Farmers’ Market. theolivina.com
16. On their 20 certified organic acres at Grumpy Goats Farm in the Capay Valley, Pamela Marvel and Stuart Littell hand harvest olives for their robust range of award-winning extra virgin olive oils. Visitors are welcome by appointment. grumpygoatsfarm.com
17. On a winter season visit to Séka Hills in the Capay Valley town of Brooks, you can look in on the mill where olio nuovo and a range of varietal extra virgin olive oils will be in production. Taste, shop, and dine at the deli as you gaze out over the extensive olive orchards. 19326 County Rd 78, Brooks | sekahills.com 
18. Fat Gold is an independent, woman-owned producer working in the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay Area. Their California extra virgin olive oil is available by annual subscription and by the tin. They’ve also published a comprehensive multimedia guide to extra virgin olive oil, which you can find, alongside their online shop at fat.gold. 
19. In the Italian countryside, families mill their homegrown olives at a central village mill and carry their portions of oil home in stainless-steel drums called fustis. Customers who visit The Filling Station can refill their olive oil containers from fustis containing new harvest olive oils from local producers like Olive Truck and Séka Hills. 2112B Vine St, Berkeley | fillingstationberkeley.com
20. Sarah Reyes, owner of Wildflower & Fern, is dedicated to sourcing local and sustainably grown blooms. She used olive branches and other edible plants to create several pieces of custom decor for our Winter Table. The large wreath, table arrangement, runner on the high cabinet, and Viola Buitoni’s headpiece are Sarah’s work. 5655 College Ave, Oakland | wildflowerandfern.com
21. Maison d’Être gift shop offered many beautiful items for our Winter Table including two olive wood cutting boards, the aqua parfait glasses that hold our crudités, martini glasses, gold metal bar tools and cocktail napkins, and the sleek white and black plates holding the two fish dishes. 5640 College Ave, Oakland | maisondetre.com
22. Market Hall Foods is known for its extensive collection of current-harvest extra virgin olive oils including many of the producers on our Winter Table. Those oils are joined at this time of year by the seasonal and ephemeral olio nuovo. Their Smoked Salmon on our Winter Table is cold-smoked and house-cured with salt, sugar, juniper berries, and coriander. We added sliced avocado, arugula, cilantro, and Maldon Sea Salt. Drizzling with Like Family Il Lime Oil would make a dazzling effect. Market Hall Produce always has a good selection of gorgeous vegetables for crudités to dip into that special olio nuovo. Market Hall Bakery’s Focaccia features the delicious flavor of extra virgin olive oil each season. 5655 College Ave, Oakland | markethallfoods.com
23. Extra virgin olive oil is on the menu at ACRE Kitchen & Bar where they have their own private label EVOO made by Scarlata Farms and feature its luscious flavors in their pizzas and also in the house martini (recipe here). 5655 College Ave, Oakland | acrekitchenandbar.com
24. The charming stainless steel bicycle pizza cutter parked on the ACRE pizza is one of many fair-trade gifts for food lovers sold at Fern’s Garden. 1831 Solano Ave, Ste A, Berkeley | fernsgarden.com
25. The delicious-looking dip in the Moroccan bowl is Reem Assil’s Muhammara (roasted red pepper walnut spread), which goes so well with the Reem’s California pita bread. Turn to page 32 for the dip recipe reprinted from Arabiyya: Recipes from the Life of an Arab in Diaspora. reemscalifornia.com

The North American Olive Oil Association joins us with Olive Oil from Tree to Table, their very handy free e-book packed with useful information on olive oil. Go to aboutoliveoil.org. to download the guide.

Special thanks to olive oil aficionado and educator Roberta Klugman for hosting the Winter Table and curating the selection of participants from among the many producers whose artistry she supports and follows year after year.

Near the end of harvest, many California olive oil producers co-mill (co-crush) olives with various ingredients like citrus, chiles, herbs, or spices. Our Winter Table features four co-milled oils: Bondolio Mandarin Orange, McEvoy Lemon, Like Family Lime, and Like Family Chili. Other California producers who make co-milled oils include 43 Ranch, CaliVirgin, Corto, ENZO, Il Fiorello, the Olive Truck, Sciabica, and more. Look for whole ingredients, not flavor extracts, on the ingredient list.