Seggiano

Seggiano is the name of a small hilltop village at 450 metres altitude on the shoulder of Monte Amiata in southern Tuscany.

Peri Eagleton and David Harrison have farmed olives on their certified organic smallholding and have produced olive oil, with the help and advice of the Seggiano community, since 1985. They also run an agriturismo in the converted farm buildings, which house the temperature controlled olive oil storage and bottling room.Their company’s olive oil production and labelling couldn’t take place without the essential support and friendship of a loyal team of local Italian farming friends. This experience and the familiarity with Italian language, rural culture and agriculture has been instrumental to the company’s successful collaboration with a variety of the best food producers and olive mills across Italy. The company’s great UK team take care of the rest.

We produce and bottle the Seggiano extra virgin olive oil on our farm in southern Tuscany, just outside the small hilltop village of Seggiano. Made exclusively from the olivastra olive variety, our oil is a deliciously creamy and delicate extra virgin. Our company, Peregrine Trading, started selling the oil in 1994 and went on to seek out non-industrial producers of the best genuine and traditional regional Italian foods available. We look for food which tastes fantastic and is made without the use of preservatives or any industrial processing. The Seggiano range is the most delectable selection of foods Peregrine Trading have had the pleasure of tasting. In addition to the Seggiano range, we now offer a unique choice of branded foods from the best producers we know. Our horizons are expanding. We believe in social and environmental accountability and have an active GM AND QUALITY ASSURANCE evaluation programme.

Liguria is famous for its basil and pesto Genovese. We were very happy to find Adolfo Foruno who, after many years perfecting his basil pesto Genovese, has produced some of the most sublime pestos and sauces we have ever tasted. Unusually, we chose the conventional over the organic range in this case, as blander oils don’t overpower the more subtle flavours. As a result the pestos taste even better. His sauces have that creamy nutty element which is so characteristic of Ligurian cooking.

RAW UNPASTEURISED BASIL PESTO GENOVESE

INGREDIENTS
olive oil, cashew nuts, fresh Ligurian basil (30%), sea salt, pine nuts, garlic.

Seggiano pesto is made from an original Ligurian basil. Using modern organic farming methods, the earth is steam treated before seeding the basil. This eliminates any pests or weeds. Once the basil plants are mature, the tender top leaves are hand- picked and washed. Finely chopped, they are put in olive oil within a matter of hours to best preserve their fresh and intense powerful aromatic flavours.

Unpasteurised, this raw pesto maintains the pungent intensity of fresh basil. For pasta dishes, first drain any excess olive oil and toss the fresh basil pesto, unheated, into piping hot pasta. Add finely grated parmesan cheese. This pesto is also delicious in sandwiches and can be used as a salsa verde. We think that this is by far the best pesto on the shelves. The inspired producers, who have their own Ligurian basil fields rather than buying from others, have perfected a process using steam treatment of the soil before seeding the basil. This eliminates the need for herbicides or pesticides. Their studied production method results in a pesto which is raw and unpasteurised, thus conserving the subtly delicious and refreshing basil aroma and flavour.

This is how they do it:

“Thanks to its particular mild climate, abundant sunshine and sea breezes, the entire region of Liguria proves to be ideal for basil farming. The year starts in May with the land being fertilised using natural fertiliser which is worked into the soil by machines.

The next stage is the mechanical disinfecting of the soil using steam. In special boilers, water is taken to the temperature at which ‘dry steam’ is produced. Via tubes laid on the soil and covered with special material, the land is steamed for approximately 3 hours which kills potential pests and blights, removing the necessity to use pesticides. In June the seed beds are prepared so that the soil is light and soft . The seeds are then sown in parallel rows at a width which will later permit the basil to be gathered by hand.

Daily watering is regulated by a computer. Spring water is used, which is an essential ingredient to ensure the best possible basil crop. The plants are protected from disease by the warm and breezy Ligurian climate. After 30 days, the basil is harvested carefully by hand. Only the tender top leaves of the plant are picked, those richest in the fragrant aroma and flavour which characterise our excellent pesto Genovese. The quality of basil depends very much on the region in which it is grown and we have found Genovese basil to be the finest available. Truly this is the king of herbs.

Once it is gathered, the basil is immediately taken to our nearby factory. First it is washed, using a whirlpool system of clean water which is constantly regulated taking into account the delicacy of the basil leaves. The washed and disinfected basil is then spun in a drying machine. At this stage, the flavour and appearance of the basil is still unchanged thanks to its delicate handling. The basil is then finely chopped in special mincers. Salt and oil is added, together with an additional layer of oil on the surface which guarantees natural conservation. It is then stored in refrigerated cells at a constant temperature of 2° centigrade, before mixing with other ingredients to make pesto.”

Seggiano Products

All Seggiano’s products are considered to be some of the highest quality products Dovetale Collection offers. Although Seggiano tends to be pricier than our other brands, with the above photos and stories of their process, you can see why. Even their non certified organic food is organic. They have never swayed from traditional ways of Tuscan farming, but believe they do not need to pay the high price of certifying their farms and land just to get a stamp on their product. Their methods are hundred of years old and nothing has changed.