FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER · FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER OUR CERTIFIED OLIVE OIL...
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July 1, 2017 “PRESSING MATTERS” FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER OUR CERTIFIED OLIVE OIL SOMMELIER As some of you are aware, this past fall and winter, Susan traveled several times to New York City to participate in the first session of the Olive Oil Sommelier Certification course given at the International Culinary Center. The course work was intense and attended by people from all over the world. During the course she sampled and evaluated over 150 oils and learned the fundamentals of evaluating the organoleptic and sensory characteristics of olive oils, the detection of defects, judging and evaluation. Susan passed her final exam and along with her fellow 25 students was the first class of US (NYC) trained Sommeliers! The greatest value of completing the Sommelier certification will be in sharing this experience with you. Susan is developing a new presentation of how to experience and evaluate quality olive oils as part of our tour learning series. If you have already participated in our introductory presentation, this will provide a new level of knowledge about quality olive oils. FARM TOURS Many have visited with us this year for our popular private tours, which have evolved into a three-part event lasting almost four hours. We start with our learning series presentation and open discussion, a brief tour of our emerging grove and a lunch.
Transcript of FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER · FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER OUR CERTIFIED OLIVE OIL...
July 1, 2017
“PRESSING MATTERS”
FINCA LUNA SERENA’S NEWSLETTER
OUR CERTIFIED OLIVE OIL SOMMELIER Assomeofyouareaware,thispastfallandwinter,SusantraveledseveraltimestoNewYorkCitytoparticipateinthefirstsessionoftheOliveOilSommelierCertificationcoursegivenattheInternationalCulinaryCenter.
Thecourseworkwasintenseandattendedbypeoplefromallovertheworld.Duringthecourseshesampledandevaluatedover150oilsandlearnedthefundamentalsofevaluatingtheorganolepticandsensorycharacteristicsofoliveoils,thedetectionofdefects,judgingandevaluation.Susanpassedherfinalexamandalongwithherfellow25studentswasthefirstclassofUS(NYC)trainedSommeliers!ThegreatestvalueofcompletingtheSommeliercertificationwillbeinsharingthisexperiencewithyou.Susanisdevelopinganewpresentationofhowtoexperienceandevaluatequalityoliveoilsaspartofourtourlearningseries.Ifyouhavealreadyparticipatedinourintroductorypresentation,thiswillprovideanewlevelofknowledgeaboutqualityoliveoils.
FARM TOURS Many have visited with us this year for our popular private tours, which have evolved into a three-part event lasting almost four hours. We start with our learning series presentation and open discussion, a brief tour of our emerging grove and a lunch.
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First time visitors are treated to a presentation on olive oil grades and production followed by our introductory “Mediterranean Tastes” lunch which is a series of tasting plates from that region with a focus on our olive and vinegar products as well as some of our seasonal crops. Returning visitors will hear Susan’s new olive oil tasting presentation and will enjoy a selection of different international cuisines using our farm-grown products whenever possible.
By popular demand, we have brought back our breakfast tour. This tour will begin at 9am (or before for the early birds) and will last about four hours. As with our lunch we will start with a presentation and a brief tour of the grove followed by either breakfast or brunch. Complementing our fare of fresh eggs and omelets will be our home cured and smoked (nitrate free) bacon, our own apple cider, and crepes filled with our preserves. We are planning to continue with the hand roasting of coffee beans, for a uniquely satisfying cup of coffee.
SUMMER HAPPENINGS Oils: In response to requests from many of you, we are developing a new oil infused with hot chile. The two that seem most promising are a Harissa olive oil and a Chile de Arbol olive oil. Look for it in our stores
If anyone has suggestions for other oil flavors, please pass them to us. We are always looking for something new and different.
Also in response to your requests we now have larger oil bottles (½ liter) of all varieties available.
Olives: Shortly, we will be offering olives packed in a simple brine, which will allow you to dress them any way you like or use them in recipes. Both green and ripe olives will be available. We also plan to offer a Martini Olive – not what you put in your drink (although you could!) but an olive that brings the drink to you.
Eggs: just a reminder. If you live in SMA, you are welcome to order our fresh, organic eggs whenever you need them. Please contact us
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(email is best) the day before you need them and we will have the quantity you need waiting for you at the Centro store the following day.
Books: Writing has become Victor’s newest passion. His first book, The Light of The Serene Moon, relates the story of how we ended up in San Miguel in 1999 and our adventures developing our home here. His second book is From Madison Avenue to the Olive Grove. This book picks up our story in 2014 when he finally retired for real and we started our olive products business. The third book is brief but describes some of the life lessons he gained growing up as an immigrant child in Bayonne, New Jersey. The fourth book, Midnight’s Story, is his first and only (so far) adventure in fiction but..based on true events. A dog of ours relates her life story and you will find out how this stray rescue dog proceeded to plan our entire life and then passed it on for our other dogs to continue!
Here is Victor’s authors page on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01MG7ZWQ4
In the works: a collection of international recipes in English and Spanish that have been tested by our staff and our tour guests.
Garlic is here! We have harvested nearly 200 pounds of garlic. If you are garlicoholic consider a farm tour with your friends during the month of July. We will prepare a special lunch, agreed with you ahead of time, prominently featuring garlic and of course our olive oils. For more information send us an e mail to [email protected]
Ejotes: When spring arrives, we plant green beans around our olive trees to replace nitrogen in the soil. As a result, we have a lot of green beans and we pickle them in vinegar and chile. They are available at the Farm Store and in Centro.
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FINCA LUNA SERENA-CENTRO STORE If you have not yet been to The Opal Mine Jewelry Store in San Miguel, you should pay a visit. They have a marvelous collection of not only opals but also many other fine gems and jewelry. They will show you a video on how opals are mined and polished for jewelry. It is a fascinating store made to feel as though you are visiting an actual mine. The walls are rock from an opal mine in Queretaro and the display cases look like mine cars. You will also be in the only jewelry store that we know of worldwide where OLIVE Oil is sold and it is Finca Luna Serena. Hernandez Macias #99.
FARM ACTIVITIES AND ANIMALS Valentino, the burro has been trained as a children’s pleasure ride
and a working John Deere plow!
He much prefers the pleasure rides!
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CANADA PRODUCES ITS FIRST OLIVE OIL! Many of our visitors this year reside in Canada so we are attaching an article which all may find interesting.
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/odds-first-olive-oil-canada/56898
RELATED ARTICLES Here are links to some recently read articles, which we have found interesting, and worth sharing
http://www.thealternativedaily.com/benefits-of-olive-oil-shot-in-the-morning/
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/celebrities-favorite-oil-has-more-saturated-fat-than-butter-and-lard-2017-06-20
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-health-news/secrets-one-worlds-healthiest-villages/57748?
Thank you
