Alex Dingwall-Main

I gave the Olive Oil Test to the local raccoons. The little family keeps my large garden free of snails and slugs, but they must occasionally get a treat or they will migrate their labor contract to the next house. Using the same bread, I soaked the pieces using Italian, Spanish, Greek, Tunisian, and California oils. The raccoons have proven to be gourmands previously, so their opinion was going to be worthy. Each dripping slice was laid out in neat rows but in different spots for each row. The kits followed their mother's lead and only touched the slices she touched. The hands-down winner was the fresh cold-pressed olive oil from the California grower.

To understand that result, I turned to this book, hoping to gain a better understanding of the olive tree and its amazing produce. The author is a professional landscape architect, known for his broadcasts and articles for the Beeb and The Times. His search for the oldest olive tree, in order to complete a garden design for a French client, allows the reader to learn the history of Olea Europaea and its link to the ancient gods. Dingwall-Main's snarky remarks throughout the book are a bit of a turnoff, but when he lets nature speak for itself (the middle of the book), the gods are happy.

Good points: The Epilogue and Olive Facts section at the end of the book. Also, the hardback is a beautiful printed product, with proper paper, excellent typesetting, and intrinsic drawings by Don Grant.

In California, the olive tree is an immigrant like the rest of us. In our drought-ridden hills of gold, the nearest equivalent we have to The Shire are the groves of olive trees whispering among themselves in the sun like the true Carthaginians they really are.

Book Season = Spring (best time to plant the treasures)… (mais)