Yes, the winter 2013-2014 was incredibly warm, and the summer was very rainy over there. Huge bugs pressure on the trees. It looks like this winter is going to be ultra-warm too, I have friends near Rome and they did not pick their olives, same as that guy in the article. Temps are in the 80s at the same latitude as Detroit, things are blooming left and right, so they may miss two years. I told them to get themselves some avocado plants to replace the fat in their diet.

Sarcasm aside, a good grandmother trick for cleaning out things like that is a healthy squirt of dish soap and a handful of rice or kosher salt. A bit of warm water, and some healthy cocktail-shaking or shekere-playing movements, then dump out the contents and rinse the bottle. It may take a few tries, but the rice or coarse salt scours the oil off the sides. C'mon Lou; it's a legit question. No need to urge someone to commit suicide. If you just want to pi$$ people off, there's got to be an easier way.

I found the recipe and it sounds wonderful! I just love fennel, and I copied to try for one of the summer pot lucks that we have each month at my office. It looks like a salad that can be kept at room temperature and served that way too. Here it is: Asparagus-Fennel Pasta Salad Recipe #294400 "Asparagus delivers delightful spring flavor in this hearty side salad. Served warm, it includes a wonderful mix of fresh-tasting ingredients." by Courtly 45 min : 25 min prep : SERVES 14 1 lb fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 3/4 inch pieces 2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced 1 small fennel bulb, sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta 4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced 12 pitted Greek olives, sliced 1 cup minced fresh parsley Vinaigrette 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup crumbled feta cheese Place asparagus, onions and fennel in a 15 x 10 x 1 inch baking pan. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and place in a large serving bowl. Add the tomatoes, olives, parsley and roasted vegetables. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

My absolute favorite is Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That's what I use when I want olive oil flavor, whether it's in a salad, sauce or even in cooking. For most cooking, I'll use a "light" olive oil and I'll buy ALMOST whatever's on sale. I usually stick with, in order: Bertolli, Pompeian (which my grandmother used almost exclusively), Filippo Berio. I've bought plenty of gourmet and/or imported olive oils and it's hit and miss. Some good, some bad, rarely great. By the way, a current study showed that the difference in the smoking point of extra virgin olive oil versus "light" olive oil is insignificant. I use light olive oil in cooking not because of the smoking point but because most foods don't stand up to extra virgin olive oil. I like the flavor of extra virgin olive oil but when I cook fish, I want to taste fish (and the same with chicken and eggs and etc.) I rarely use any other olive oil for cooking (except peanut oil for Asian foods). I have a bottle of "vegetable oil" in the refrigerator but I may use a few tablespoons every few months, if that. For those of you who don't use a lot of olive oil, buy a good bottle and store it in the refrigerator. It gets cloudy and thick but no big deal; do as some of the others here do and pour a little bit into a nice bottle for your cooking area. Joe