The Turf Tavern a Very Old Pub During our London trip, we took the train to Oxford and had lunch at The Turf. The Turf Tavern began as a malt house in the 13th century beside Oxford's medieval city wall. The building still shows features from earlier centuries,...
The fig tree (Ficus carica) is as intertwined with the development of society as the olive tree. The fig has historical and mythical significance. For thousands of years, fig trees have grown close to human settlements. They don't require a lot of care and the trees...
What country produces the most olive oil? What country consumes the most olive oil? (Find the answers at the end.) Oil Worthy of the Gods Homer, the Greek poet, is credited with coining the term "Liquid Gold," even though that's not what he said. In a passage in the...
Please enjoy my first Guest Chef series with Francois de Melogue. He has spent years perfecting recipes that celebrate the best of Mediterranean ingredients. [GDC_row] [GDC_column size="quarter"] [/GDC_column] [GDC_column size="three-quarters"] I shipped Francois a...
Jesi, Ancona in the Marche region of Italy My first visit to Italy in 2019 was filled with many interactions and local fun. The country was new and exciting; the people were very friendly, and I chatted with everyone. Walking down a quiet cobblestone road in a castle...
Senigallia Ancona in the region of Marche Italy One of My Favorite Fruit and Veggie Stands This family-owned fruit and vegetable market is one of the first places in Senigallia that I shopped for produce. Diana and Rafael are the friendly proprietors. They offer the...
Montefalco, Italy Walking through a castle, as one does in Italy, enjoying the shops and the people in Montefalco, Italy, a town in the Umbria region of Italy, we came across the Church of Sant'Agostino, a small Gothic-style church built in the 13th century. It was...
The Myth In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus, the god of the sky and order, had his daughter Athena compete against Poseidon, the god of the sea, for control of Athens. It was an important competition. After all, Athens was a powerful city and the center of the arts,...
I never thought I'd be a small olive farmer. Since I can remember, I've dreamt of having a farm with animals, green pastures, and that classic old red barn. And I've lived on land most of my adult life—from 5 to 1400 acres—with big gardens and chickens but (never the...
Crushing the fruit is the second phase of the harvest. Various wineries and olive mills provide this service, and for a small fee, you can turn your olives into the freshest olive oil available! You can also find olive mills that still use stones to grind the olives...
Italy wasn't a travel destination for me. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful country, and I like the idea of traveling far and wide, but I'm a homebody. My travel dreams were limited to a few trips focused on nature and animals, such as whale-watching in Alaska and...