Written by Zeph Belanger, Hartstone Inn Sous Chef
Every year during November in Tuscany, olives are plucked from trees and pressed into some of the best olive oil in the world. The recent Michael Salmon’s Foodie Adventures fall trip to Tuscany fell right at the beginning of the olive harvest. Large nets spread underneath olive trees was an everyday sight while traversing the Tuscan countryside.
One afternoon, our guide Lucia setup a surprise visit to an olive oil pressing in her hometown of Sarteano, where her father has his olives pressed. Being witness to the entire process was definitely something write home about. Afterwards, our group was treated to some authentic bruschetta, toasted bread rubbed with garlic, sprinkled with salt, and drizzled with the just pressed olive oil. Bellisimo!