16 NOVEMBER 15, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Family Favorites from Tree to Table
Getting the whole family around
the dinner table every evening
can be hard. Feeding your family
meals that incorporate high-quality
ingredients and are also delicious can
be even harder. Sometimes, though,
that special ingredient you're looking
for can already be in your pantry.
Consider including bursts of
flavor from an ingredient such as
California Ripe Olives at your next
family meal and take into account the
versatility and taste made possible by
the hard-working farm families who
grow them.
Grown by his family for more than
a decade, Rick Benson vividly remembers
the day he convinced his father
the next crop at Benson Farms should
be California Ripe Olives, which are
both heat- and salt-tolerant.
That was 12 years ago, and the Benson
family has grown olives ever since.
Though they are seasoned farmers,
the Benson family members are new
to olives, and they have brought an
innovative way of harvesting to the
decades old industry.
While California Ripe Olives remain
a primarily hand-harvested crop, the
Bensons' young grove was planted
with the intention of harvesting
mechanically. As newer olive groves
are planted, mechanical harvesting is
slowly being implemented.
"It's a labor of love," Benson said. "We
view olives as our crop for the next
generation."
Whether you're enjoying olives as a
snack or using them in a new dish like
this favorite recipe from a California
Ripe Olive-growing family, consider
the hundreds of farming families
behind each can of olives.
Learn more about multi-generational
farming families like the
Bensons and fi nd more recipes at
calolive.org.
RUSTIC CHICKEN WITH
RIPE OLIVES
Recipe courtesy of Vincent Richutti,
a third-generation California Ripe
Olive grower
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30-35 minutes
Servings: 4
• 1⁄2 cup mixed, porcini or
chanterelle dried mushrooms
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper fl akes
• 1 1⁄2 pounds baby yellow
potatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil, divided
• 4 small boneless, skinless
chicken breasts
• 1 1⁄2 cups California Black and
Green Ripe Olives
• 1⁄4 cup chicken broth
• 1⁄4 cup white wine
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced and
seeds removed
Heat oven to 425 F.
In small food processor, pulse mushrooms,
fennel seeds, basil, salt and red
pepper fl akes until mixture is fi nely
chopped and almost powder-like.
Place potatoes on large, shallow
rimmed baking sheet and drizzle
with 2 tablespoons olive oil; toss to
coat. Sprinkle with half the mushroom
mixture and toss lightly.
Brush chicken with remaining
olive oil and sprinkle both sides with
remaining mushroom mixture.
Nestle chicken and olives into potatoes.
Drizzle with broth and wine, and
top with lemon slices.
Roast 30-35 minutes, or until chicken
and potatoes are cooked through.
Remove lemon slices before serving.
Courtesy Family Features
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