“Olive oil and the other ingredients of our life” article series

Every time I drive through the Val d'Orcia, down from Montalcino towards Sant'Angelo, my heart is filled with beauty. Pieces of the real Tuscany, which does not live only for tourism, the elegant valleys of vineyards, and olive groves that seem to demand the same attention. This road is beautiful in all seasons, rain or shine, whether the landscape is bright green or mostly ochre. Then, the moment you start seeing the back of Mount Amiata from Sant'Angelo Scalo, the olive tree takes its revenge on the vine. Seggiano is just a stone's throw away but we are going to Montenero d'Orcia, a village in the distance perched on a small hill.

I walk up, and as I pass below the house, my eyes turn to the window. Rosina is there, she sees me and invites me right away: "Come, I'll make you a coffee". The steps to the house are steep, the door is open. "Do you want a coffee or will you have a slice of bread with a drizzle of oil?", Rosina asks me that morning. I choose the olive oil, as I know the family history and the time she and her Fernando have devoted to this fruit, which their children now look after. She cuts the slices of bread, puts them on the fire for a few minutes, turning them over from time to time, then onto the plate.

"Will you also have some crushed tomatoes? ". Of course I will, so she takes one from the basket, cuts it in half and rubs the flesh on the bread, but only on one side; then  the adds a pinch of salt and finally the oil. She is calm, measured in every movement. "If you knew how much my children ate of this tomato-rubbed bread!" Now I have grandchildren, they have it too, but they can’t stay still at the table, they're always roaming around". With Rosi, I eat this slice of bread with a drizzle of olive oil, which seems to be the same in every household, but is in fact always different. "This is so good!" Now I'll make you coffee... Then come and have lunch with Giorgio, we're making chickpeas today".

Excerpt from L'olio e gli altri ingredienti della nostra vita by Maurizio Pescari (Rubbettino, 2021). Translation and adaptation Camille Frachon.