Costco Connection - February 2013

first with your nose and then with your mouth,” says Shauna. The oil displays a fruity flavor with peppery undertones; it’s perfect made into a sauce, mixed in a vinaigrette or used as a finishing oil. You can try it yourself, drizzled over ribollita, a traditional Tuscan soup (see recipe on page 79).

What makes this olive oil superior to others begins with the consistency of its olives. Tuscan olives are picked at their prime between October and December, earlier than olives in other parts of Italy. The process from olive to oil is quick: washing, then pressing, to separate the oil from the pit, then testing, to assure that this oil meets not only the standards that are stipulated for extra virgin olive oil, but also the rigorous standards that make it Toscano.

Full authenticity and traceability

There has been some concern of late in the U.S. about misrepresentation in the labeling of extra virgin olive oil. That’s because

Moroccan Eggplant Salad 

2 medium eggplants Salt

1 egg white

1 cup Kirkland Signature Grapeseed Oil 1 red bell pepper

1 cup pitted green olives

1 garlic clove, smashed

1 preserved lemon, rinsed thoroughly, flesh discarded

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika Pinch of red pepper flakes Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

Rinse the eggplants and pat dry. Cut them in half lengthwise, then cut the halves into 1-inch-thick (the width of two fingers) slices. Rinse again in a colander and sprinkle with 2 to 3 pinches of salt. Mix the slices in a bowl with the egg white.

Heat grapeseed oil in a frying pan. Sauté the eggplant slices until they have absorbed the oil and are browned on both sides. Remove and place on paper towels.

Using metal tongs, roast the red pepper directly over a flame on all sides, or singe in the broiler, turning often to blacken. Cool pepper; peel and discard the skin. Cut the pepper

Tablet or smartphone?

You can learn more about the production of Toscano Extra Virgin Olive Oil in our digital newsstand and online editions.

extra virgin can’t be deduced by flavor alone. Even an industry professional wouldn’t be able to identify extra virgin simply by smell or taste. Laboratory testing must also be conducted to be assured that extra virgin olive oil is, in fact, extra virgin.

“To be labeled ‘extra virgin,’ an olive oil
must test at 0.8 percent acidity or less,” explains
Shauna. “As the acidity decreases, the quality
increases.” She goes on to explain that all
three Kirkland Signature extra-virgin oils—
organic, Italian and Tuscan—are fully trace-
able back to the farm level and verifiable as
“100 percent extra virgin olive oil.”
“Additionally, to be labeled ‘Toscano,’
the olives must be grown and pressed in

into small squares. Place the red pepper in a bowl.

Cut the pitted green olives into small strips and add to the red pepper. Mix in the smashed garlic. Cut the preserved lemon into small squares and mix with the olives and red pepper. Add the cumin, paprika and red pepper flakes.

Tuscany, and the oil must test at 0.6 percent
acidity or below,” she says. “Kirkland
Signature™ Toscano is bottled well below the
maximum acidity level, and laboratory tests
guarantee it.”
Outside of authenticity, freshness is the
other concern when it comes to olive oil, says
Costco manager Tess Wilkins, who oversees
the Kirkland Signature olive oil program.

“Olive oil can often sit for months on some stores’ shelves,” she says. “Because our oils are produced to order and shipped fresh from Italy, and because of our quick turnover, Costco members can be assured that the oil is at its freshest.” She adds that moving from a two-pack to a single bottle also means the oil won’t be languishing on members’ shelves either.