Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Olives ~ Moussaka ~ National Olive Day

  

Good 46º sunny morning. 

 

 

Yesterday was totally clear and sunny......

 

We topped at we topped at 87º.

 

 

Picture of the Day...perfect timing

 

 

Interesting about olives...........

 

Fossil evidence indicates the olive tree had its origins some 20–40 million years ago in the Oligocene, in what is now corresponding to Italy and the eastern Mediterranean Basin. The olive plant later was first cultivated some 7,000 years ago in Mediterranean regions.

The edible olive seems to have coexisted with humans for about 5,000 to 6,000 years, going back to the early Bronze Age(3150 to 1200 BC). Its origin can be traced to the Levant based on written tablets, olive pits, and wood fragments found in ancient tombs.

 

The olive tree on the island of Brijuni (Brioni), Istria in Croatia, has a radiocarbon dating age of about 1,600 years. It still gives fruit about  66 lb per year, which is made into olive oil.

An olive tree in west Athens, named "Plato's Olive Tree", is thought to be a remnant of the grove where Plato's Academy was situated, making it an estimated 2,400 years old. The tree comprised a cavernous trunk from which a few branches were still sprouting in 1975, when a traffic accident caused a bus to uproot it. Following that, the trunk was preserved and displayed in the nearby Agricultural University of Athens.

 

 

In 2013, it was reported that the remaining part of the trunk was uprooted and stolen, allegedly to serve as firewood. A supposedly older tree, the "Peisistratos Tree", is located by the banks of the Cephisus River, in the municipality of Agioi Anargyroi, and is said to be a remnant of an olive grove that was planted by Athenian tyrant Peisistratos in the sixth century BC. Numerous ancient olive trees also exist near Pelion in Greece. The age of an olive tree in Crete, the Finix Olive, is claimed to be over 2,000 years old. This estimate is based on archaeological evidence around the tree.

The olive tree of Vouves, also in Crete, has an age estimated between 2000 and 4000 years.

 

From Mr. Food

 

This Greek favorite has a few shortcuts, which land it on your table in no time! Easy Moussaka, with tender layers of eggplant, ground beef and a creamy custard topping, makes 'em shout "Opa!" every time you serve it!

 

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups milk, warmed

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large skillet, sauté the ground beef over medium-high heat 7 to 8 minutes, or until crumbly and only slightly pink; drain off any excess liquid.
    
3. Add the eggplant to the skillet and sauté 5 to 6 minutes, until the eggplant begins to soften. Add the garlic, cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper; mix well. Add the spaghetti sauce and cook 4 to 5 more minutes, until hot; place mixture in the baking dish.
    
4. In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth, 3-4 minutes. Add the warm milk to the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time whisking continuously until smooth. Bring to a boil, stir in remaining salt and cook for 2-4 minutes or until thickened. Pour over meat mixture.
    
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until the custard-like top is set.

 

 

Historically this date.....

1812 – War of 1812: The U.S. President James Madison asks the Congress to declare war on the United Kingdom.

1813 – James Lawrence, the mortally-wounded commander of the USS Chesapeake, gives his final order: "Don't give up the ship!"

 

 

1974 – The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims is published in the journal Emergency Medicine.

2009 – General Motors files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It is the fourth largest United States bankruptcy in history.

And births this date include...

1926 – Andy Griffith, American actor, singer, director, producer, and writer (d. 2012)

 

1926 – Marilyn Monroe, American model, actress, singer, and producer (d. 1962)

 

1934 – Pat Boone, American singer-songwriter, musician, and actor

 

 

1937 – Morgan Freeman, American actor and director

 

1953 – Ronnie Dunn, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (Brooks & Dunn)

 

1973 – Heidi Klum, German model, actress, fashion designer, and producer

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Wednesday first day of June. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Olive Day is observed annually on June 1.  The olive, one of the world’s oldest fruits, is part of a traditional meze/tapas culinary experience that brings families and friends around the table to share time together rather than in a kitchen. The olive branch is a symbol of peace, hope, love and friendship and celebrating National Olive Day is a fun way to acknowledge the joy this little fruit provides.

Olives are used in many ways. We find them in cocktails and loaves of bread. We eat them whole as snacks, use them as toppings, include them on relish trays and even use them as a garnish for many foods. They are one of the most versatile foods we eat.

**Where I grew up in El Sereno we had olive trees... a couple on the parkway that I used to climb and one on the side of the house and one in the backyard. They were green olives.

 

Daddy would pick the olives when ripe and then, because they are extremely bitter and non palatable at that stage, he'd soak them in a stoneware crock with a water/lye bath. Then he'd rinse them well and soak them in a brine for a couple of weeks and then can them. They still had the pit in them. Gosh they were GOOD!!!