{"id":11567,"date":"2015-04-01T12:04:12","date_gmt":"2015-04-01T12:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/?p=11567"},"modified":"2015-07-28T11:55:32","modified_gmt":"2015-07-28T11:55:32","slug":"pomora-trees-that-keep-on-giving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesojournseries.com\/bavaria\/pomora-trees-that-keep-on-giving\/","title":{"rendered":"Pomora- Trees That Keep on Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Regular readers of both this, and my previous blog, are probably well aware of my love of trees. \u00a0They are absolutely one of my favourite things in nature, maybe along with stars. \u00a0 It’s hard to choose between the two, but if I really had to, I think trees might still win – stars don’t help keep us alive after all…<\/p>\n

If you live a slightly nomadic lifestyle like we do, and don’t truly feel like you own your own tree, then I might possibly have the perfect\u00a0solution – adopting one!<\/p>\n

Pomora<\/a> offers a tree owning initiative – not only will a select tree in a beautiful Italian Olive grove officially belong to you (you even get a certificate!), but you can feel extra good in that you are supporting ethical farming methods and traditional communities. \u00a0 And your tree sends you presents – \u00a0the most delicious olive oil.<\/p>\n

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Packages are sent four times a year, and vary according to the seasons – Winter consists of 3 bottles of differing Nuovo oil, vibrant and unfiltered… \u00a0 This oil is held in such high esteem by the growers, that they have a big party at production time… \u00a0In Spring your tree will send you three flavoured oils, in the Summer it will send you 3 different extra virgin olive oils, and in Autumn a further 3 flavoured oils (different to those the tree sends for Spring!)… \u00a0 Obviously the oil you are sent doesn’t all come from your own tree, it’s not a magic tree sadly, but Pomora promises that it will come from trees very close by.<\/p>\n

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Adoption for the year costs around \u00a3135 (you can foster instead whilst you get to know each other if you like), and if you don’t fancy this for yourself, it makes a great gift subscription for the foodie in your life.<\/p>\n

Pomora sent me a set of Nuovo oil to taste, and having cooked with it, made dressings and sauces with it, and baked with it, I can confirm it’s lovely quality\u00a0stuff…<\/p>\n

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I highly recommend baking foccacia with it, and using said bread to sponge up oil straight from a bowl, with or without balsamic – it’s up to you…<\/p>\n

Rosemary Foccacia (adapted from Lorraine Pascal’s BBC recipe) – Ingredients:
\n500g Organic White Bread flour (plus extra for dusting;)<\/em>
\n 2tsp salt;<\/em>
\n 7g dried yeast;<\/em>
\n 100ml good quality olive oil;<\/em>
\n 250ml warm water;<\/em>
\n 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary;<\/em>
\n a good pinch of sea salt (or in this case pretzel salt!)<\/em><\/p>\n

Dust a large baking tray with flour, or line a large baking tin. Add the flour, salt and yeast to a large bowl, followed by the olive oil. Gradually add the water to make a soft dough (I do all this in a Kenwood Mixer by the way) and knead for 5 minutes (10 minutes if you are doing it by hand). Test the dough by sticking a thumb in, if the dough springs back then it’s ready, if not knead for a couple of minutes more. Place the dough on your baking tray, and cover with a damp (clean obviously) tea towel and leave in a warm place to rise (until doubled in size)for an hour.<\/em><\/p>\n

Preheat your oven to 200C. Press a floured finger all over the dough to make the traditional hollows, paint with a<\/em> little extra olive oil, press in the rosemary sprigs and sprinkle over your salt. Bake for 30 minutes in the top half of the oven. The Focaccia is ready when golden brown and hollow when tapped underneath. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

And the thing I perhaps I love the most about this company? \u00a0 They positively encourage you to visit your Sicilian tree and meet the farmers<\/a>, so you can give it, and maybe them a hug in person… \u00a0 A true gift (to yourself or someone else!) that keeps on giving!<\/p>\n

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