Last week I was asked by a colleague to accompany a few lucky winners of a client’s internal competition to an education trip in Italy. On paper, the journey was a very stressful tight schedule: early flight from Gatwick (waking up at 3.30am), arriving in the south of France, hiring a car, driving 2 hours before lunch, a factory visit, olive oil tasting and finally back to the hotel for dinner.

We arrived at the airport to meet our clients before flying to France.  This gave us the chance to break the ice with our clients and to let them know some information about the company we were going to visit.  On the plane we all took the opportunity to grab forty winks, which was well deserved after getting up so early.

I have to say that arriving in Nice to find a quite warm breeze and hot sun was quite pleasing. A quick check in at our hotel and we were out, wearing the sun glasses for the first time this year (a very good sensation) and the fatigue that all of us was moaning about a couple of our early simply was melting away under a warm Mediterranean sun.

The journey was quite pleasant, travelling in a very empty motorway through Italy and France, with the changing landscape from a very maritime south of Francet o low mountains as soon as we enter my beloved country. The olive trees started to take over any other form of vegetation and were the only type of tree present around us.

After 2 hours we could see that we were climbing again this time the hill of Imperia destination Pontedassio, I was quite pleased to see that they even bother to raise the British flag in our honour.

We were welcomed by the supplier, who in very characteristic Italian style asked us if we wanted to relax a bit while having a “light lunch.”

Without saying, the light lunch turned out to be a feast; a mixture of very good authentic regional products, including a just picked blue artichoke, to a crispy fried squid, which less than 6 hours earlier was swimming in the sea in front of us, and of course, a sample of all the products they produce for our infused olive oils, tapenades, bruschettes and vinegars.

Our drinks were a couple of white wines produced locally on the family land of a very good quality Pigato wine and one of my favourites, Vermentino.

 I have to say that my expectations of the supplier was very different, but to my surprise I found that there was no management bureaucracy but a very committed family running a multi-million pound empire with passion, commitment and dedication.  Since creating their first olive oil in 1908, their family have been vital in the promotion of olive oil as a healthy product.

They understood that olive oil had therapeutic properties in addition to nutritional properties and created a pharmaceutical division which developed remarkably until the end of the 1980s. During that time the company acquired important know-how aimed at rigorous quality control, research and development and the management of the test lab which is still operating today:

In 1940 in Oneglia, the Company started conquering the market thanks to its genuine products. Very few people worked so passionate with dedication and enthusiasm. This approach has been implemented over the years working silently in order to achieve a better product.

During those years, Oneglia was considered the World capital of oil: the port and railway yards of the small provincial town were the origin of approximately 30% of the Italian oil production exported world wide.

In 1991 they transferred the company from the Oneglia old factory to Pontedassio about 5 km away from the sea, located in the Impero valley, characterised by hills featuring silver greens grows(taggiasca olive) dominating the picturesque Mediterranean bush and scrub.

A tour of the new factory is striking not only for the passion and compliance with the ancient oil production methods, but also for the care taken in dealing with the minimum aesthetic details of corporate premises: olive trees decorate the company garden like a carved monument, two ancient oil mills dating back to the1600s were carefully restored and today are fully operational and jars of any shape and origin bear witness to the will to keep alive the history of the people and the trade that has been revolving around olives trees and their fruit.

Today’s works are the result of constant renewal, mirroring the radical transformation of the whole oil production sector, where the ancient oil mills a mere token of the past, superseded by modern equipment for the mechanical pressing of olives according to the “cold pressing” method.

Tradition is completed by avant garde technology managing and regulating the various processing stages: from the place where the oil is stored to the boiling lines.  Each production process was designed to prevent the molecular structure of the oil and fully comply with the ancient production methods.

In the past, the quality checking used to be entrusted to only the most experienced ”tasting master”, whose assessment is still vital and highly valued.Today it is complemented by state-of-the-art analytical equipment ensuring the selection of the best raw material and the integrity and preservation of all the natural features of the end product. As always, the olives tree and its fruit are the starting point.

La taggiasca

The taggiasca olive tree is very sturdy and mainly disseminated in the western area of the Liguria region. Mainly in the Imperia province, where it’s actually the only species. It is not by chance that the company owns over 10 000 trees in the area.

The peculiarity of the taggiasca oil, allegedly the finest world in the world, is its lightness, due to the low acidity and the fruitiness and sweetness of the flavour.

It’s the best choice for those who prefer delicate taste and it is suggested to cook and season fresh delicate products like fish or seasonal greens.

There are now over 700 named British cheeses produced in the UK, with a cheese for every occasion this year is the year to push the boat out and try something a little different.

If you are preparing for British Food Fortnight, The Queens Jubilee or just in the garden with a Ploughman’s lunch on your day off then here are some of the artisan British cheeses we supply:

CORNISH ORGANIC BRIE 1KG CHE508

This organic cheese is handmade using traditional techniques, complimented by modern mould-filling equipment. Made using 100% Cornish pasteurised cow’s milk. The Cornish milk gives this Brie a characteristic yellow, buttery colour. Mild and very creamy with slight hints of mushroom, the flavour intensifies with age.

ROSARY GOAT’S CHEESE 1KG CHE507

A creamy, moist and soft cheese with a light and fluffy texture made from goat’s milk. Rosary Goat’s Cheese is locally produced at The Rosary in Landford on the Hampshire and Wiltshire border and is suitable for vegetarians.

YORKSHIRE BLUE 1.5KG CHE504

This Continental style full fat blue cheese is produced from fresh cows’ milk collected from local farmers in the northern end of the Vale of York. Guided gently along its 10 week maturation period this cheese has a creamy texture which when at room temperature develops a slightly sweet, full, round, and mellow taste. Pasteurised and suitable for vegetarians.

KEEN’S CHEDDAR 2KG CHE505

Made using unpasteurised cows milk from the farms own herd, this year old full fat traditional cheddar enjoys a peaceful life maturing on wooden shelves in exactly the right environment. The cloth bound cheese is allowed to breathe as it matures. The cheese has a clean, mellow yellow appearance which darkens towards the edge. It has a deep earthy aroma and the flavours are often grassy and most importantly long lasting on the palate.

Given the generous content of liquor or fruit juice, sweet sabayon is inclined to curdle. In a bain marie container, whisk vigorously, using very low heat so thickening does not even start for 2-3 minutes. Do not heat up the sauce too much; the bottom of the bowl should never be very hot to the touch.

BERRIES AND PEARS WITH SABAYON SAUCE

Serves  4

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe pears
• 125g mixed berries
• 30g plain chocolate

For the sabayon sauce

• 5 egg yolks
• 60g sugar
• 150ml Marsala or other sweet white wine

METHOD

1. Peel, halve and quarter the pears. Discard the cores and slice the quarter. Spread the slices on heatproof individual plates. Pick berries, rinsing them very quickly.
2. Sprinkle berries over the pears; cover the plates tightly with cling film and chill.
3. Make the sabayon sauce: put the egg, wine and sugar in a bowl, whisk the ingredients just until mixed. Set the bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water, and whisk until done. 5-8 minutes. Sabayon can be made 10-15 minutes ahead and kept at room temperatures, keep whisking until cool, then whisk it occasionally to prevent it from separating.
4. To serve: spoon the sabayon over the fruit, coating them completely.  If you like, brown the sabayon under the grill. Top with grated chocolate and serve.

If you ever come into problems when making this, check out our Sabayon tips blog post.

If it’s not perfect, some of the problems that may arise are as follows:

1. Very thin consistency and lacking richness

Reasons: not cooked enough, cooked too quickly so egg doesn’t thicken; egg overcooked and about to curdle; too much liquid flavouring.

How to resolve: continue cooking if not cooked enough; if sauce starts to thin after thickening, it is about to curdle: cool bowl down at once by dipping in iced cold water and wisk sauce constantly until tepid.

2. Lack of taste

Reasons:  Too little flavouring

How to resolve: Whisk in more sugar or sweet liqueur

3. Separated and liquid falls to bottom

Reasons: Left to stand too long.

How to resolve: Whisk vigorously and serve at once

4. Curdled with thin consistency

Reasons: Cooked over too high a heat or too long kept warm to long.

How to resolve: Unfortunately, little can be done.

Even though we could have rocked up with some amazing Charcuti®, SunBlush® tomatoes, Roquito® peppers and a few olives, we thought that we would give these great ingredients a little twist.

We were catering for chefs, food writers and customers alike over a couple of hours, with some amazing ingredients from theLeathamsproduct list and a few little tricks to make the food just that little bit more interesting and unique.

Here are a few of canapés we produced from this menu:

Tuna on Ice

Tuna and salt smoked cucumber (pictured above) with black spiced rice vinegar spaghetti and a wasabi granite, served on enough ice and seaweed to sink the Titanic.

From Parma with Passion

Passion fruit and Parma ham snails, with fresh mint and a peppermint dry ice arome.

Bresaola Air Breads

Warm air bread injected with a hot vintage cheddar sauce wrapped in Bresaola served in a nest of hay.

Mango Negroni

Campari and mango spheres that burst in your mouth with a boozy fruity kick (pictured left).

Beetroot, Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Celeriac, Chicory ,Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Leeks, Parsnips, Potatoes, Swede, Cabbage, Purple Sprouting Broccoli.

Fruit

Bananas, Blood Oranges, Kiwi Fruit, Lemons,Oranges, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Rhubarb.

Meat and Poultry

Game: pheasant, partridge, goose, hare and venison.

Fish and Seafood

Brill, clams, cockles, haddock, halibut, hake, John Dory, lemon sole, mussels, oysters and turbot.

Leeks, Carrots, Red Cabbage, Beetroot, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Chicory, Jerusalem Artichokes, Kale, Chard, Parsnips, Swede, Winter Cabbage, Potatoes.

Fruit

Blood oranges, Pears, Apples, Clementine, Lemons, Oranges, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Satsuma and Tangerines.

Meat and Poultry

Venison, Pheasant, Partridge. Woodcock (until 3^rd January)

Fish and Seafood

Cockles, mussels, oysters, scallops, haddock, halibut, John Dory, lemon sole, brill and plaice.

Others

Walnuts

However there are some wonderful feasts to be had and with the game season in full swing so its time to put away the BBQ tongs and get out your roasting tins, casserole dishes and start making some real comfort food with earthy wholesome flavours.

Fruit

Bramley Apples, Clementine, Passion fruit, Pears, Pomegranate (coming into season)

Vegetables

Parsnips, Potatoes Pumpkin, Shallots, Swede, Turnips, Kale, Leeks, Mushrooms (wild), Celeriac, Cranberries (coming out of season), Brussels Sprout, Beetroot, Cauliflower (from mid December), Celery

Meat and Poultry                                                       

Duck, Woodcock, Partridge, Goose, Grouse (until 10 December),Rabbit,Turkey, Venison

Fish and Seafood  

Scallops, Pollock, Oysters, Mussels, Haddock