Basil Farm and Pesto Making Experience

The Basil Farm and Pesto Making Experience is offered by A Small Kitchen in Genoa, a small Genoa-based business led by Enrica Monzani, and takes place outside the city in Celle Ligure, a seaside town about 45 km west of Genoa on the Riviera di Ponente in Italy's Liguria region. The setting is a private home and family farm. A local family explains how Genovese basil, the aromatic variety at the heart of authentic pesto, is grown in greenhouses with views over the sea. Guests then make pesto by hand with a marble mortar and a wooden pestle, following the traditional method of crushing the leaves with salt, garlic, pine nuts and cheese rather than using a blender. The experience finishes with a lunch of organic dishes from the garden and fresh pasta dressed with the pesto, served with a glass of wine. The balance is savoury, with no dessert described on the listing. It runs for about four hours, in the morning or around lunchtime, by arrangement. It is a private experience for groups of at least four people and is offered in English or Spanish. The listed price starts at €180 (about $207) per person, and the final price depends on group size. Private transport is needed to reach Celle Ligure; the listing does not say whether it is provided, so this should be confirmed when booking, as should the exact meeting arrangements. A photographer can be hired for the visit, and the greenhouse setting makes photography a natural part of the day. The listing does not detail dietary substitutions, but the menu is built around pasta, basil, cheese and nuts, so guests with allergies or gluten, dairy or nut restrictions should raise them with the operator in advance at enrica@asmallkitcheningenoa.com. Basil is at its best from late spring through summer, and the season from May to September is the busiest, so early booking is advisable. Visitors usually wear sun protection and shoes suitable for greenhouse paths.