June Olive Oil Festival in Lecce, Italy

The Contadino, The Cook and the Extra Virgin

_{2008 date is June 22-28}

The Contadino, The Cook and the Extra Virgin is a week long festival in June celebrating olives, olive oil, and cooking. Festival events explore roles, past and present, of olive oil, and its special characteristics while offering extensive insights into its recognition, appreciation and use.

The festival is run by The Awaiting Table Cooking School in collaboration with Olive Matters, a company specializing in all aspects of olive oil production.

Silvestro Silvestori, owner of the Awaiting Table, will guide workshop particpants in the preparation of regional foods, breads, and pastries and introduce them to the cheeses and wines of Puglia. He’ll also lead a tour of the special shops and food markets of Lecce.

Chris Butler, an internationally accredited taster of olive oil, educator and specialist in olive culture, will introduce the oils from the area and instruct participants how to recognize flavor characteristics. He’ll conducted tours of the area through traditional and modern olive groves and extraction facilities.

Demonstrations, cooking and accommodation will be in Palazzo Bacile di Castiglione, a castle with spreading gardens, a large swimming pool, its own olive groves and extensive facilities. It's in Spongano, 44 km south of Lecce, in the heel of Italy's boot. This is the southern part of the Puglia region, an area bordered by the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and awash in olive trees (see Puglia map). Lecce can be reached by train and the closest airport is in Brindisi, 63 km away (see Italy airports map).

According to the festival press release:

Olive oil is much more than a food condiment: it’s a symbol of the Mediterranean, healthy eating, romantic rural life, ancient cultures and a unique tree that has fascinated civilization for centuries. But while it’s been on our plates for centuries, it’s still one of the most misunderstood and exploited foods in our diet.

Olive oil is the queen, king and prince of southern Puglian gastronomy, an undisputed part of that region’s acclaimed dishes, which are based on the sea foods, grains, legumes, meats, vegetables and fruit grown on its distinctive soils and highly varying microclimates.

For For further information and bookings, contact Awaiting Table.

_{Olive Tree Photo © Silvestro Silvestori, Awaiting Table
The above festival information was provided by Ingrid Evers, Next Step Media}