Nudo Adopt

Nudo Darjeeling First Flush

Indulgent treats are part and parcel of Christmas fun. 'Tis the season to treat your family or indeed yourself, and if you're a foodie, there's such a vast choice of gifts: from special cheeses to awesome cakes, from gingerbread houses to chocolate advent calendars. Foodie gifts are among my top favourites at any time of the year, not just for Christmas. And how about a gift that goes on? Food subscription gifts are becoming more and more popular. Nudo Adopt is a splendid concept of adopting an olive tree in Italy or a tea garden in India. Both options appeal to me a lot, as both tea and olive oil are products which we buy regularly and use daily.

You might have seen me mentioning Nudo oils a few times on my blog, as I received their products back in September. But I've been waiting until now to do a review of Nudo Adopt, as I believe it's the best time now to start buying Christmas gifts. You still have time and choice to get the gifts that would thrill your recipients.
This is the time when I personally start looking online for the best deals and the best possible presents for my family and friends.

What is Nudo Adopt? It is an adoption programme, where you pay for a subscription to receive produce from the plant you "sponsor", be it an olive tree or part of the tea garden.
I have received samples of both olive oil and tea to test and try in recipes.

Nudo Darjeeling First Flush Tea which I have tried is from Sivitar tea garden (you can find the photos of this beautiful place on Nudo Adopt). This tea garden has been named after the Hindu God Siva and it means Siva's abode. The tea bushes grow "on the steep slopes like a lush dark green carpet, stretching right up the hillsides to sections which lie at 4,000ft".

Nudo Darjeeling First Flush Tea

It comes in a pretty pouch, which is foiled inside and can be resealed for freshness.

The tea has a light amber colour. Its smell is delicate and fragrant. Nudo Darjeeling is a refreshing tea, with a full rounded taste.

Nudo Darjeeling First Flush Tea

It's £15 per quarter for the tree garden adoption, and each quarterly delivery is different.
For example, a winter delivery will be a Monsoon flush, which has been harvested in the rainy season, and hence has a more robust tea leaf with a fuller flavour and darker brew.
In summer expect the finest quality loose leaf tea picked from the first flush.
You will also get 20% off all Nudo products and can see a photo gallery of your garden.
How does it sound?

If your intended recipient is not a great tea lover, an olive oil adoption might be another option for a thoughtful foodie present (it costs £32 per quarter).
The Nudo olive groves are located all over Italy, you will find them in Le Marche, Sicily and Liguria. When you register, you have to choose the grove.
For example, the grove at Barone Pastore is just outside Alcamo, on the Trapanese coast of Sicily. If you enjoy the Inspector Montalbano series of books as much as I do, you might remember the Trapanese pesto mentioned in The Patience of the Spider. Going back to the grove, it is named after Barone Pastore who was a prominent figure on the political scene of Sicily in the 19C.  Now you have a chance to adopt an olive tree at this grove (or any other grove of your choice). Check out the photos on Nudo website, as the images of the groves and all the scenery are most romantic.
I have enjoyed sampling a trio of olive oils which is named as The Three Tenors. It includes a classic extra virgin olive oil, stone ground lemon oil and extra virgin oil infused with Sicilian chillies.
These flavoured oils are all versatile, and can be enjoyed in a variety of dishes, from salads to roasts.

As you can see from the photo below, they are different in colour, with the chilli oil being the darkest.
I loved the colourful stylish tins, they look so jolly and bright in my kitchen.

They are all excellent quality, but my personal favourite is the stone ground lemon oil which has a very pronounced lemon flavour, clean, zingy and refreshing. It's like a salad dressing of its own.
I have used it in a variety of recipes, see my posts Leek and potato soup with lemon oil-infused croutons and Orange polenta cake.

The extra virgin oil infused with Sicilian chillies has a good kick to it, and will add a decent spicy note to any dish. One of the recipes I used it in was the roast baby tomatoes. It's one of my favourite side dishes, I just put the tomatoes in a deep ceramic dish and pour 2-3tbsp of olive oil, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and maple syrup and vodka (about the same quantity for each ingredient). These tomatoes are excellent hot and cold.Try them in a cheese sandwich with a crumbly Cheddar or soft brie. Yum!
Nudo oil worked well in this easy side dish, and added an extra spicy note to it.

Serve the tomatoes with a roast, or a tortilla.

The extra virgin olive oil is a great base for any salad dressing. Try it in a simple tomato and mozzarella salad, and imagine yourself in Italy. Insalata Caprese is one of our family favourites, and I often make it as a light lunch. As it's a very simple dish, you need quality ingredients, so a good olive oil is a must.

Make that foodie in your life happy, give them a present they will enjoy!

Disclosure: I received a selection of Nudo Adopt products for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All Opinions are mine.