1. Hi Claire. Rosh Hashanah (or The Jewish New Year) is from Sept 8-10. What is the significance of the honey cake?
Honey certainly dominates during Rosh Hashanah. Therefore, honey cakes are the traditional cake for the Jewish New Year, as is anything that has apples and honey.  Both signify a hope for a sweet new year. After the blessing over the wine and the bread (challah) are recited for the Rosh Hashanah main meal, it is customary to take an apple (symbolizing the new fruit of the season) dipped in honey and offer a prayer asking for a a good and sweet New Year.

2. What were you doing before you decided to start The Exceptional Brownie?
I was the owner of my own marketing communications firm with fortune 500 clients. I always enjoyed being my own boss, and the benefits of being an entrepreuneur. (Prior to that, I was the head of an advertising manager in NYC.) The creative passion I had plus the business acumen I developed was the foundation for my new business, The Exceptional Dessert LLC.

3. Your products are certified kosher. What exactly certifies something as kosher?
Kosher foods are those that conform to the rules of Jewish dietary laws. Certified kosher means all ingredients are kosher, even the flour and baking powder and salt, have to be certified kosher. Plus, the bakery is under the supervision of a special Rabbi who ensures the ingredients are kosher and does not permit any meat products or non-kosher products on the premises.

4. I see that you won the “People’s Choice Award” in COPIA’s Best Darn Brownie Contest in Napa, CA. Which brownie won that contest?
Our Double Chocolate Brownie won that competition as that was our original Brownie. After I won the competition, I was inspired further and created the other flavors such as Espresso, Peanutty Swirl, Berry Nutty, etc.

5. How would you describe your products?
Our Exceptional Brownies are all natural, chewy and intensely chocolate. We purposely make sure our brownies are not too sweet so you can taste the premium chocolate and other flavors and ingredients. Our honey cake is moist, sweet and lightly spiced.

6. What was your most memorable food experience?
Watching my grandmother bake left an amazing impression on me and I enjoyed her ability to NOT follow a recipe, but to create by the “feel” of the dough and the “look” of the dough. From the second she got up, she was in the kitchen creating new baked goodies and never wrote the recipe down. That’s why I spent many hours with her writing down everything she was doing, and while she threw in a “handful” of flour, I would try to measure what a “handful” was so we would be able to replicate her recipes years later.

1. What were you doing before you started Little Ragghi’s?

I have been in the restaurant and wine business for my entire life. I would still be today, if I had not seen a response on these crackers unlike anything I had ever encountered in my career. Having been on the opposite side of the business, as someone who purchased and served countless varieties of crackers for catering and wine tastings, I saw something in the customers response that I could not ignore and went with it.

2. The company was inspired by your friend Raggatha who is a Native American. How did you two meet?

I don’t think to say the company was inspired by Raggatha is entirely correct. It would be more accurate to say I was inspired by Raggatha and the product was named after her because of my respect for her and who she is to other people. We have worked side by side for countless hours to get what we feel is a great product. We met in a past restaurant that we both were employed in and have worked together off and on for years. The cracker was named after her because she was the one who was involved in the production of the original product. The story is really just a testament to who she is and a way for people to become familiar with an organization that she holds dear to her heart, and works incredibably hard to support.

3. So your customers have said Little Ragghi’s Crackers are ‘Quite possibly the world’s most addictive crackers.’ Tell us more!

The tag line was decided on after I had visited 19 stores in one day and everyone one of them told me “These things are addictive. Our customers can not get enough. And comments similar.” While driving home late that night, I came to the realization that I should take the customers praise of the product and use it in the marketing. We made this product like chef’s cook with flavor in mind. We are not shy about the use of olive oil, cheese, and salt and pepper. If you mix those three things, you are bound to get something people like.

4. What are three adjectives that describe your crackers?

Addictive! The quintessential wine pairing cracker! A food product that is fun to talk about! That may be more than three but those pretty much sum it up.

5. For every bag of Little Ragghi’s crackers sold, a portion of the proceeds will go to the charity of her choice: The National Native American Family Camp. Tell us why this is important.

For the record it is the organization of her choice. Raggatha is one of the proudest people I know and so are the people involved in the Native American Family camp. This is something that is very important to her and must be represented that way. It is important because as I created the name and asked for Raggatha’s permission to use it I believed that it was important to try to give back to her or to something she was involved in a fraction of what I believe she gives to the world she lives in on a daily basis. I have always said “If people never buy a single bag of crackers, at least they might become more familiar with the Native American Family Camp, and at the end of the day I feel we have done a good thing”.

At Foodzie, we're all about discovering good tasting, real food. Sometimes it's an unusual, fun new combination of flavors like Bacon Peanut Brittles, Cabernet Wine Flour, or Maple Honey Caramels.  Other times it's no frills, simple good food. Up The Creek Mustard isn't fancy, just a darn good mustard produced in the small town of Montgomery, West Virginia by owner, Fred Lockard. He jazzes up his humble yellow mustard (perfect slathered on wings, for simple chicken wings) with the addition of sweet onions and local West Virginia banana peppers from a nearby farm. He also makes a mean Hot Dog Sauce which doubles as an all natural 'Sloppy Joe' sauce. Fred is a long-time resident of Montgomery, West Virginia where things move a little slower. He retired from his job at Dupont and fell into his family's mustard business. Before you dig into his mustards & sauces, take a minute to meet Fred from Up The Creek Mustards!

1. What were you doing before you started making mustard?
I was a Chemical Plant Operator at Dupont for 29 years. I also remodeled and sold houses way before I knew they had a fancy name called ‘flipping’.

2. How did you decide to start making mustard?
Well my wife’s cousin started the business 15 yrs ago. After I retired from Dupont, they approached me because I had previous business experience. So my wife and I bought the business. It’s definitely a family operation. My wife and I are the only official full-timers. But we have about  6-7 family members who help us out. We just got 25 bushels of hungarian hot wax peppers that we use in the mustard. They are peppers from a local farm, Crisfield Farms – Rhone County. So we’ll get the family to help with that.

3. Which job is harder – making mustard or working at a chemical plant?
Depends on whether its January or not. When you are a Chemical Operator and you have a valve that isn’t working you still gotta go check it out and fix it. No matter how cold it is or what the weather may be. The thing I like about Up The Creek is I am my own boss. I can still see my family and go watch my grandchildren’s baseball games which was sometimes hard to do with 12 hour shifts at Dupont. But I like both jobs for different reasons.

4. What are three words that describe your product?
quick, great, unique

5. What is the best thing about living/working in West Virginia?
I think it is the honesty of the people. I have lived in this town for 40 years and I don’t have to lock up anything. It’s a very relaxed, easy-going place with beautiful scenery.

When you think of a farmhouse in the Napa Valley what comes to mind? Maybe a front porch with a view of the vineyards covering the hills. Or maybe you can almost smell the citrus trees, green grass and fresh air. Maybe all you can really think about is a nice glass of Napa Cabernet? Either way, certain words can create an image or emotion that you associate with them. Food should also encourage these emotions. Life can get hectic, but the simple act of slowing down and really tasting and celebrating the food you’ve prepared is important.

Owner Diane Padoven left the corporate world as a senior executive in retail to get back to basics and make eco-friendly, natural products from the bounty of the fruit trees on her Napa, CA property. She uses her sustainably grown produce to create products such as Persimmon Jam, Fig & Grand Marnier Jam and Aglio Olio Peperoncino Seasoning made from fresh dried herbs and spices. All other ingredients are locally sourced. She’s got a lot more products bursting with fresh flavor that are great to have your in your pantry arsenal. Maybe we can’t all live in a Napa Farmhouse, but Diane wants to make sure we can eat like we do! Stock up on all of Napa Farmhouse 1885’s products at 30% OFF All Week (with a $30 min order)!

1. Hey Diane. How did you come up with the name Napa Farmhouse 1885 for your business?
The short answer is that when my husband & I chucked corporate life and moved to Napa a few years ago we bought a small victorian farmhouse that was built in 1885. My entire life changed when we came to Napa and I wanted to tell that story.

2. What were you doing before you started Napa Farmhouse 1885?
I was a senior executive in the retail/apparel business…most recently at Levi’s where i spent 8 years.  After ½ a lifetime in the corporate world, I decided I wanted to start my own company…one which would leave me time for family, friends, cooking, gardening, writing, entertaining…and running a company my way.

3. What kind of fruit do you grow and how do you use them in your products?
We grow all the fresh fruit used in our products…we have persimmon, fig, meyer lemon, lime, orange and pomegranate trees. We are not certified organic but follow sustainably grown principles. We aren’t a full fledged farm…just a small farmhouse with fruit trees, herbs, flowers and vegetables. In Napa it is kind of like “plant it and it will grow” and I started making the food because I needed to figure out ways to use up the bounty! As the story tends to go, I gave away tons to family and friends…still had more…so…”farmhouse food” was born..

4. What are three adjectives that describe your products?
eco-friendly, organic/sustainably grown, local

5. What are some great uses for your products?
Our food items are delicious on their own…and also work really well as shortcuts to great tasting meals. Some examples are our jam used as a glaze for poultry or fish, or an ingredient in vinaigrettes. The sweet ones are nice spread between cookies or cake, our seasonings and rubs are also used in salads, vegetables and appetizers. The list goes on and on. I use many of our products in recipes which are posted on my blog.

There are some things in life that people go straight up crazy for – music and coffee being some of them. Plug in your headphones, crank up the tunes and the right rift, hook or melody can send you into that ‘happy place.’ For all you coffee junkies, spouting off your special order at your local coffee joint is kinda like singing the words to your favorite song. When you grab that perfectly crafted cup and take that first sip – you feel it in your soul. Aaron Carlson at Little Amps Coffee Roasters knows a thing or two about coffee and music. After many a morning drinking sub-par coffee on their tour bus while playing in his band Nethers, Aaron and his bandmates decided they could do it better. And in true rockstar fashion, they tricked out a toaster oven and started roasting some seriously rockin coffee. They were surprised to find how intense, flavorful, and fresh coffee could taste in comparison to the roasty burned taste sold at the big coffee stores. You too can try some of their ‘tuned & tested’ coffee for 25% OFF & Free Ground Shipping (With 2 days) Today Only! Try the sweet yet nutty Ethiopian Yirgacheffe Oromia, the All-Peaberry Tanzanian Ruvuma with notes of caramel and blackberry or the smooth yet complex, Bugisu Region. To learn more about the man behind Little Amps Coffee Roasters, read our Q&A with Aaron Carlson.

1. So your company’s name ‘Little Amps’ originated from your time playing in a band. What’s cooler – running a micro-roastery or playing in a band?
Hmmm, tough question; I thought these were going to be softballs! Basically, I traded smoky bars for a smoky warehouse. It’s certainly different kind of creative outlet, but it’s no less satisfying. I still get to rock out with pals, and that’s awesome, but I do miss sleeping in the van and playing in stranger’s living rooms.

2. What kind of band did you play in? Any standout hits?
I played guitar in a drone-folk band called Nethers and had we had a microscopic hit called “O The Deed.” I used to get checks from ASCAP every quarter for airplay, and they were for like $1.57. We still have a Myspace page!

3. Ok back to the coffee – what kind of beans do you use and why?
Our green bean guy prepares samples of stuff that he loves, and then we have a little cupping here of those samples, and pick the best lots. We weight sweetness and flavor a bit more than some roasters. Right now, for example we have three Africans, but that’s just the way the cookie crumbled.

4. What are 3 adjectives that describe your coffee?
Tuned, Tested, Tweaked

5. What is the best way to taste coffee?
Orally, for sure. Really, we are partial to the French Press, as you can easily control all the brew parameters in any kitchen. It really beats any fancy machine hands down. We also suggest maybe less cream and sugar.

Creating great pairings takes food to the next level. If you get it right, the sum of two flavors is most certainly greater than the whole. A killer wine can completely take your meal to a new level. The right blend of coffee beans can send your taste buds (and energy) soaring. Sea salt and caramel are a beautiful marriage of well, salty & sweet. Bacon & chocolate? Some might argue that bacon is the perfect pairing to just about anything! When it comes to food, there are endless flavor combinations to play with. At least Clare and Matt at Quince & Apple think so when it comes to their artisan jams. With flavors like Strawberry Rosemary, Figs & Black Tea, Pear with Honey & Ginger, Orange Marmalade with Lemons and Shallot Confit with Red Wine, you’re sure to be thinking – ‘Wow, I wouldn’t have thought to put it together, but man this is good!’

Husband & wife owners Clare & Matt are a pretty unique pair as well. Matt is the man in the kitchen. He ran an organic food co-op, got his culinary degree and worked in high-end dining before moving into food production. Clare is the brains of the operation working on business strategy, order management and marketing. To run a food business, you certainly can’t have one without the other! They are offering Free Shipping on orders Today Only with a Minimum order of $23. To learn more about this food-loving pair and their artisan jams from Madison, WI read our Q&A with Clare.

1. Your business is a labor of love. You and your husband Matt run Quince & Apple. How do you guys balance the work?
We really do love our business. Matt always says, “My job is my hobby!” We sometimes stay late just for fun. Other times, because we have to – but that means we’re busy, so either way it’s rewarding. To balance Quince and Apple with our relationship, we try to be really clear about what our expectations are – who’s supposed to be doing what and when. It’s amazingly not easy at all! So that’s a real priority. We also try to be intentional about when we’re working and when it’s just us. Mostly, we try to have fun at work and bring work home when it’s fun to do.

2. You come up with really unique flavor combinations. Are there any that have failed?
We are in a constant process of development and each flavor undergoes rounds and rounds of scrutiny before it’s finished. I would say about every other flavor we work on doesn’t make it through the process. A lot of times the final recipe is totally different from our original idea. Sometimes we start and stop for months until we hit on something. So far our biggest challenge has been with tart cherries. Wisconsin produces some of the world’s best tart cherries, and we would love to put them in a preserve, but nothing fits! We’ve tried chocolate, cocoa nibs, cocoa, lemon, even star anise. I would bet we’ll keep coming back to it. Matt has to be really inspired by the flavor for it to work. Even if something seems like a great idea, sometimes we just can’t create it if we’re not passionate enough. In the case of the cherries, we haven’t hit on a concept we’re really moved by. We’ll see!

3. So you’re based in Madison, WI. What is the food scene like there?
Funny you should ask, because we spent the weekend in Chicago and were talking on the way home about the difference between the two cities. Chicago is a lot more scene-y than Madison. In Madison, people who work in food seem to all know each other and hang out at fun and fabulous events. In Chicago there are so many people and high expendable income, so it’s a lot bigger scene. Madison is so tiny in comparison! It’s almost like the whole city is the scene. There’s a very agrarian feeling to the region, because it’s just filled with small farms. We have the biggest producer-only Farmer’s Market in the country, and there’s a seven or eight year waiting list to sell there. It’s huge, and tons of our restaurants here use their produce in seasonal menus. Also, the state of Wisconsin is this huge supporter of small food businesses – they do everything possible to make it easy to work here, from giving out grants to offering helpful health inspectors to maintaining a state-run marketing board. I think that really helps. Basically, I love Wisconsin.

4. What are three adjectives that describe your products?
We say “small-batch preserves from the upper midwest” – which I think captures it pretty well. I also think there’s a boutique high-end feel to our products.

5. If you weren’t making jams as Quince & Apple what other job would you like to be doing?
Well, we’d definitely be running some sort of business! We love to get all involved in everything. Matt has always thrown around the idea of opening a cafe, and we also talk about other product lines. I’m interested in how organizations work and running them well, so I’d find something fun to dig my hands into.

Summer has arrived and with it comes everyone’s favorite summertime pastime. Going out for ice cream. Let’s be honest, we don’t really need an excuse to go eat ice cream. It’s good in the heat, it’s good in the cold, it’s good when you’re young, it’s good when you’re old…ok I’m going a little Doctor Seuss on you. But doesn’t ice cream have that affect? For most people, ice cream = happiness. And if it’s really, really good, ice cream could even be considered a sin. Leland Atkinson, the owner of Sinplicity Ice Cream sure thinks so. His ice cream is simply made from the best ingredients that he can find. Some of the flavors even have a splash of the finest liquors to dress it up a bit. Imagine spices and nuts being toasted and ground “to order”. Citrus juices are squeezed just prior to being incorporated into remarkable sorbets. Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans are split and scraped by hand. Antibiotic-free milk and cream delivered fresh from select local dairies envelop the array of delicious fillings. Extracts and flavorings aren’t used. This is the real deal.  It takes time. It costs a little extra, but the difference is remarkable, and the quality shows up on the spoon.

Sinplicity’s innovative small-scale pasteurization methods allow their products to come “from the udder to the spoon” in remarkably short order. Every “Sin du Jour” is frozen in an Italian-made Gelato machine, which incorporates very little air. These “American Gelatos” have the big flavored, dense and chewy nature of of gelato, adapted for the American palate. Indulge in their Classic Sinpack which includes their most popular flavors – Cappuccino Crunch with Amaretto and Chocolate Covered Almonds, Chocolate Truffle with Kahlua, Madagascar Vanilla & “Bourboned” Butter Pecan. For a lighter option, try their Sinless Sorbet Sinpack which includes their handmade sorbets – Lemon-Ginger with Spiced Jamaican Rum, Blackberry-Cabernet, Mango-Rum with Lime, Chocolate with Myer’s Rum. Owner Leland Atkinson is offering 25% OFF all his products All Week Long! And if you’re worried about ice cream melting in the heat, they’ve got it covered. All orders are shipped via FedEx 2 day in a cooler with dry ice. Read below to learn more about owner Leland Atkinson and Sinplicity.

4. What’s your favorite flavor?
Gee, that’s kind of like asking me which one of my kids I like the best. I’ve just kicked a major caffeine addiction, so these days I live rather vicariously through Cappuccino Crunch (coffee ice cream with chocolate covered almonds and amaretto). One of our newest flavors is Thai Peanut which has a hint of red chilies, coconut milk and ginger. It’s kind of like a satay without the pork. Also, fresh blackberries are just starting to come in here locally, and our Blackberry & Cabernet is my all time favorite sorbet.

6. When you aren’t eating ice cream, what is your favorite thing to eat?
My first business plan was to make and sell smoked meats and charcuterie. I love smoked and grilled foods, and do a lot of barbecuing at home. I make a chicken and apple sausage that will make you cry.  As I have young children, the pizza group forms the base of our family food pyramid. (Who wants to live forever?)

Most of us can probably recall fond memories of spending time in the kitchen with our grandmothers cooking all day to prepare delicious, home cooked food. I can fondly remember picking white peaches off ‘my peach tree’ at my Grandmother’s house in Pennsylvania and spending the day making preserves with her. I would spend the day helping her peel and chop the fruit, boil the jars, and proudly taste the final product. Something about your Grandmother’s touch, makes everything taste better. Or maybe its just that as you get older, you appreciate the time that went into making the food. Gisella Civale, the owner of Dolce Nonna also recalls these moments during her childhood, growing up in Italy. Her grandmother would pick the bounty of fruits and vegetables from their garden and spend the day pickling them in preparation for the winter months. Her products are derived from old world recipes that are over 100 years old, originating from the Campania region of Italy, specifically the Amalfi coast.

She created Dolce Nonna in honor of her mother & grandmother and their authentic Italian recipes. One of seven children, her family immigrated to the US in 1958. After constantly being bombarded in the grocery store by unhealthy junk chock full of citric acid and preservatives, she decided to take action and bring the old way of eating back to the present day. Enjoy her selection of preserved vegetables & fruits (Agri-Dolce Peppers, Marinated Eggplant, Pickled String Beans, Succulent Spiced Pears or Gourmet Sampler) from her family’s authentic Italian recipes, 20% OFF Today Only! Read our Q&A with Gisella Civale to learn more about Dolce Nonna and her Italian roots.

1. So you moved to the US from Italy as a child – what are your memories of living in Italy? 
I grew up on a livestock farm and I have fond memories of waking up in the morning to the smell of freshly made bread and freshly squeezed cow’s milk. I also remember playing hide and seek in the peach and plum orchards. My mother would also make homemade ricotta from the cow’s milk. 

2. What are some creative ways to use your products? 
Our products can be used in a variety of different ways such as topping for pastas, meats, salads and sandwiches. They can also be made into quick and easy tapenades, appetizers, and blended into dips. 

3. What are three adjectives that describe your products? 
Authentic, versatile, addictive 

4. Your recipes originate from Campania, Italy. What is the style of cooking that is done there? 
The style of cooking is very rustic yet simple food. Most of the food originates from the small regional farms within the surrounding areas. Everything is prepared from fresh, locally grown seasonal produce. 

5. How do you come up with new recipes? 
I often resort back to my childhood memories of what I grew up eating and I try to give those foods a fresh, modern twist.

Many of you probably have recurring memories (or nightmares) of hearing your mom say, ‘Honey, eat your carrots, it will give you good eyesight!’ or ‘Just one more bite of fish, it’s brain food!’ Will carrots really give you good eyesight? Maybe. Some studies have shown that vitamin deficiencies may be associated with poor eyesight. And yes, while you can’t load up on fish sticks in order to pass your next exam, fish is incredibly healthy in a variety of ways. But we’re not kids anymore, and while we know that we should be eating healthy foods, sometimes it can seem hard. Maybe you’re subconsciously trying to disobey your mother, maybe you don’t like vegetables, maybe it takes too long to cook healthy or maybe sometimes you just really want a cheeseburger. Either way, it is important to take care of yourself, and the food you put in your mouth is truly the most powerful preventive medicine there is.

Enter Dr. Alison Levitt. To be exact, she is a Medical Doctor specializing in integrative medicine which is a mind, body & spirit approach to health. For many years, she has been constantly prescribing the addition of flax seeds into her patients’ diets. Flax seeds have been touted as a near perfect food for their numerous health benefits. As a way to easily add flax seeds into her patients’ diets, she began making flax seed crackers. And like that, Alison decided to start her business, Dr In the Kitchen selling her raw, sprouted flax seed crackers otherwise known as, ‘Flackers‘. They are super crunchy, hearty and best of all, are a healthy choice when you’re having that crunchy snack craving. Great with hummus, peanut butter or straight up! Alison is offering 20% off all 3 of her delicious flavors, Today Only! Read her Q&A below and take her advice, and stock up on a snack that both your mother and doctor would approve of. 

It’s been said that the Mediterranean diet or ‘Crete Diet’ is one of the healthiest diets in the world. Heavy in olive oil, fresh vegetables, fish and citrus – the Greek take their food very seriously, while keeping it quite simple. And when you really get down to it, the essence of a good meal is simple food made with the best ingredients you can find. It’s safe to say that food has gotten way too complicated these days. Regardless, there are a few staples that every good cook needs – and good olive oil is definitely one of them. Not sure what defines good olive oil? It’s not surprising. The name brand olive oil producers you find in your mainstream grocery stores are selling you a very bland cousin of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In its simplest form, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is simply fresh olive juice, extracted from any of hundreds of olive varieties that were picked at the grower’s desired level of ripeness and pressed as soon as possible. In general, an earlier harvest yields greener, more peppery oil; oil from a later harvest is more golden and mild. To be designated “extra-virgin,” the oil should meet certain standards set by the International Olive Council (IOC) in Madrid. Unfortunately, these strict standards aren’t enforced in the US which is why most olive oil you find in the supermarket is a far cry from this ‘olive juice’ I speak of.

Stavra’s father and her sons in their olive grove in Elika, Greece.

That is where Stavra Conlon and her family come in. In the small village of Elika in Southern Greece, Stavra’s father grows their Koroneiki and Athenoelia olives with love and care. The olives are grown without any pesticides and then hand picked. Minimal processing produces a fruity, peppery olive oil that – guess what – actually tastes like an olive! Stavra is throwing in a free bottle of her delicious olive oil for every bottle purchased Today Only! So take advantage of this opportunity to have your world rocked by some fantastic olive oil. And hey, you’ll have an extra bottle in case you want to share the love. Read more to learn about Elikan Harvest and their olive oil.

Stavra (left) and her sisters.

1. So your family is originally from the village of Elika (hence the name!) in Southern Greece where your olives are grown for your olive oil. How was it growing up as a kid in NJ visiting your family in Greece?

It was a lot of fun spending summers in Greece with my entire extended family. My sisters and cousins and I would swim, go for walks and spend hours reading and playing card games. In the early years, some parts of the village did not have electricity and there was only one telephone which was in the town square.  It’s changed quite a bit since the 80’s, and we have all the modern conveniences, but it’s still just as beautiful and quiet. My parents have been living there full time for about 10 years now and I spend time in the summer there with my own children.

2. Most commercial olive oil doesn’t really even taste like olives. What makes your olive oil so flavorful?

Elikan Harvest Olive Oil is first cold press extra virgin olive oil which means that the olives are pressed and the juice is extracted using absolutely no heat or chemicals. There is no further processing, mixing or refining. This first pressing of olives retains the color and flavor of the fruit.  Much of the commercial olive oil sold in the US is refined and has very little taste.

Our small farm has olive trees of the Koroneiki and Athenoelia variety and the oil is a natural mixture of these two olives. The trees are cultivated without the use of pesticides  and the olives are hand picked when they are still green and immediately pressed into oil. Extra virgin olive oil must contain less than .8 percent acidity, the lower the better. Our oil typically has less than .3 percent acidity, which is extremely low. The unique climate and topography of our region in Greece is well suited for producing great olive oil, but not much of it finds its way to the U.S.

3. Elikan Harvest is run by you and your two sisters. How is it working with your sisters?

We collaborated on the idea to import our family’s olive oil a few year’s ago and my sisters are a great help in promoting the business and offering ideas and advice.  They both have full time jobs as teachers and I have responsibility for the business. My sisters and I are very close and we have fun whether we are running tastings together or working frantically to get holiday orders out.

4. What are three adjectives that describe your olive oil?

Bold, Healthy, Peppery

5. Summer has arrived! What is a great summer recipe that uses your olive oil?

I love making chicken souvlaki on the grill in the summer. Here is a quick and easy recipe:

Chicken Souvlaki (or pork)

1/2 cup Elikan Harvest Olive Oil

Juice of 2-3 lemons

2-3 cloves of garlic crushed

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp mint (optional)

1 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

4 Chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks

Tzatziki Sauce

1 pint of Fage yogurt (or any greek style plain yogurt).

1 cucumber peeled and then shredded (or finely chopped).  Make sure you remove the seedy part and press the shredded cucumber to remove the water.

1-2 crushed garlic cloves

1 tsp chopped dill or mint (personal preference)

1 Tbs Elikan Harvest Olive Oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

Salt to taste

Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours. (Pork can be marinated overnight). Thread the chicken on skewers and grill until cooked through.

You can also add chunks of onion, tomatoes and/or  bell peppers to the skewers between the chicken pieces.  Just quickly brush the vegetables with olive oil and sprinkle with lemon before grilling.

Serve the skewers over rice or with pita bread and tzatziki (greek yogurt and cucumber sauce).