OLIVE OIL HARVEST AND DISCOVERY FROM PALESTINE!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanks to many of you for your positive response to the cookbook! I ordered a limited supply to gauge interest, and at the rate the book is selling right now I might have to put in another print order very soon! Thanks to you that have ordered 6 or even 10 books a piece, I am incredibly humbled and honored. Check out the cookbook tab for more information and remember I am offering a discount between now and December 20th of 10% off! Just use the promo code FRIENDS10.

If you want any Thanksgiving ideas, check the RECIPES tab on the left hand bar, then click on HOLIDAY MENU IDEAS. Look out for a new video next week where I share a 1000 year old recipe in time for a special December tradition in the Middle East. No this is not a typo, the recipe is really 1000 years old! In the meantime,  I thought I would share a very special video from my recent trip to Palestine, where a few Americans and I took part in the annual olive harvest with a local family in a small village in the West Bank.

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The hospitable family allowed us into their cherished tradition, where families gather together and harvest the olives for hours each day for about 1 to 2 weeks. During the harvest they sing songs, eat a picnic lunch, and gather herbs and other fruits from the earth to make tea and wholesome snacks to fuel the day. On a perfect olive picking day, the air is fresh and the day is tranquil, as we connect with one another in the quiet and repetitive act of brushing each fragrant tree of the olives. However, there are also horrible days when squatters from surrounding  colonies either steal the harvest or commit various acts of violence, from releasing wild boars to frighten the farmers, to sawing down the ancient trees.   I tried to bring these experiences to you through my latest video:

 

If you have watched the video, and want the links to fair trade sources of good quality olive oil,  I compiled a list of my favorites below. They make a great Christmas gift, and your purchase helps these farmers survive despite their constant challenges.  Do you like these types of reports from the Middle East? Please let me know in the comment section!

Palestinian Olive Oils

CANAAN FAIR TRADE

EQUAL EXCHANGE PALESTINIAN OLIVE OIL

ZAYTOUN OLIVE OIL

HARVEST PEACE OLIVE OIL

 

 

 

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2 thoughts on “OLIVE OIL HARVEST AND DISCOVERY FROM PALESTINE!

  1. Thank you Blanche for sharing the olive harvest in Palestine, it’s great tradition, Happy Thanksgiving God bless you and the whole family as well, Enjoy the holiday season

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