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How do you relax? With all the chaos that is occurring around us, or in our day-to-day lives, it is seemingly more important than ever to have that one thing that helps you switch off. Some exercise, you might meditate, watch mind-numbing TV even. For us, unsurprisingly, it’s good food and wine. I defy you to claim that this indulgence doesn’t at least part way alleviate these stresses. I can never understand people who don’t have the slightest interest, when nourishment is effectively essential to being. If you have to do it all the time, do it well, right?
It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be with friends and family (although certainly preferable!), but focusing on good ingredients and preparing them thoughtfully, and then enjoying said ingredients, fixes us in the present, and temporarily makes all else seem insignificant.
This is accentuated even greater when produce is sourced and curated responsibly. We’re certain that’s why more and more people are making the decision to create businesses that have this essence at their core – connecting people to a more local, community-driven product. That’s what we do when seeking out new wines, and that is exactly what Citizens of Soil do when seeking out new extra virgin olive oils.
Whilst seemingly quite different products, there are a plethora of similarities between wine and extra virgin olive oil that both us and Citizens of Soil pine after in our quest to bring you more great producers of these fields.
As our friend’s name would suggest, soil type and consciously looking after this soil is a must for both of us. This aids the growth of healthy fruit, whilst also ensuring the opportunity for regeneration rather than pillaging the ground of its nutrients (which are not renewable we must add!). And you can really taste this in the end product.
Small-scale is the pinnacle. Extra virgin olive oil and wine of true provenance and quality just cannot be made en masse. The time and care taken to craft a valuable output should not be understated, and is often why the cheaper a product becomes, the more corners that are cut. It’s by no means an easy feat for the small-batch producers we each work with, but it is a wholly fulfilling ethos.
And lastly, both elevate food immeasurably! Truly exceptional extra virgin olive oil can do wonders to so many different recipes. Plus, how many times have you had a glass of wine that coalesces so beautifully with the food in front of you?! It goes without saying therefore, that coming up with some food recipes with extra virgin olive oil as an essential ingredient, and with wine pairings to boot, was a no-brainer when we crossed paths with Citizens of Soil. So, with the weather set to stay (lol jk it’s the UK…), and gatherings well and truly on the cards again, why not try a couple of the below recipes and pairings!
Plus use code OLIVEPLONK to get 20% off your first month’s subscription or bottle of extra virgin olive oil from Citizens of Soil.
Classic Greek Salad – paired with Mas Comtal Pomell de Blancs 2019
A classic, as the naming suggests! The perfect union of acidity and salt wrapped up in fresh fresh goodness. And more importantly, integral to it all – incredible EVOO. The texture of the oil against that crunch and bite of the red onion and tomato is so simple yet so delectable. With this we would pair a Chardonnay and Xarel-lo blend from Catalan. Bright acidity shines through, but there’s a ripeness to the fruit characteristic that perfectly brings these two products of differing Mediterranean origins together.
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Fresh Sea Bream Toast – paired with Domaine Perraud Mâcon-Villages 2020
Saltiness, minerality, freshness, garlicy-ness. Yes please. What an incredible little starter or light summer lunch this fresh sea bream on toast is. Beautiful intensity from each of these ingredients, and therefore a wine that can stand the test. The Domaine Perraud Mâcon-Villages is the one here. From the south of Burgundy, that typical oaky, buttery style, but with an elegance and subtlety to it, along with a gleaming minerality.
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Summer Peach Salad – paired with BLANKbottle Moment of Silence 2021
We adore this mix of sweet, sour, acid and salt. The fleshiness from the peach with a tang from the lemon zest, a bit of pepperiness from the rocket. Phwoar. We’ve gone down the riper route of white wine here, with a fantastic South African blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc and Viognier. Wonderfully complex, and with a bit of skin contact to add some texture.
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Visit citizensofsoil.com to get to know more of their purpose and subscriptions. And don’t forget to use code OLIVEPLONK to get 20% off your first month’s subscription or off a bottle of extra virgin olive oil from Citizens of Soil.
