A farming estate linked to
local traditions and its own earth
The cover bears a poem dedicated to Giovan Battista Landeschi, who in 1758 took over the parish of Sant’Angelo a Montorzo, about a five-minute walk from Podere del Grillo. This farmer-priest became famous in the 19th century for his book “Saggi di agricoltura di un parocco samminiatese” (Agricultural essays of a San Miniato pastor), a detailed manual for farming the Pliocene clay-sand hillslopes, and for managing their water, or as he put it, their “water economy.”
When we came upon those abandoned terraces for the first
time, I had a clear sensation that the area was still alive--not only did it exhale history, it was still capable of yielding riches. Under its brambles I could already see in my mind’s eye sunny terraces of artichokes and olives, fields and borders blanketed in tomatoes and onions, all crowned on high with a wondrous vineyard, planted to sangiovese in homage to Tuscany and to the superb winegrower whose land borders mine: Leonardo Beconcini.
Today my entire family is involved with the Podere del Grillo farm, since farming today is not a job but a philosophy of life.

from the earth to the table
In the two short years since we started our agricultural enterprise we have learned that the agricultural product distribution system is characterised by inadequacies and by duplication. The producer hands over his tomato to the local produce market (or to the deliveryman to that market, thus adding another layer), which sells to the wholesaler, who in turns sells it to the retailer! In the case of tomato puree, there are more layers.

the preserves
Refined delicacies for premium Tuscan cheeses
Podere del Grillo’s vegetable preserves are not mere happenstance creations. The necessity of preserving for winter use the products of the spring and summer is a genuine, integral part of the Tuscan culture. From dried figs to salted olives, from lard-preserved chicken livers to peaches in syrup, the Tuscan farmer families have always kept their pantries filled with foods for the colder season or for times of want (read, for instance, about the famine of 1774, in the “Saggi di agricoltura di un parocco samminiatese”, Rossano Pazzogli, EDS Edizioni). Even today’s farms have similar imperatives, for tomatoes can be kept only for brief periods. For precisely this reason we utilised the Grinzoso Tomato to make our green tomato preserve and the preserve with grappa, two creations springing from the genius of one of our dearest friends, a somewhat reserved but clever magician inspired by a stove into dramatic flights of creativity. His inspiration joined with Barbara’s more practical and culinary talents to create our farm’s
with our more practical and culinary talents to create our farm’swo flagship products. The 2005 season added to our range of preserves a recipe of us that takes full advantage of our local area, combining the flavours of the Tuscan Red Onion to Reciso, a monovarietal Sangiovese that is as generous and as Tuscan as its winegrower. I, who merely manage the cultivation of the farm, limit myself to inquiring of my stupendous chefs how they want the onions, how ripe the tomatoes should be, and what amount I should provide. At day’s end, once my requested tasks are accomplished, I let my eye range out over this delicious panorama, stretch myself out on the first large rock I find, light up a toscano cigar, and render fervent thanks for having chosen this vocation.

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