Welcome to Garden Patch Farm Online

Beans with Black Cabbage, Tuscan Style

The following is a recipe from our member, Sue Ann using the black cabbage. She hasn't tried it yet; neither have I.

2/3 lb dry cannellini beans

2 1/2 oz pancetta

2/3 lb black Tuscan cabbage

2/3 lb carrots

1 large onion

2 leeks

2 celery stalks

handful of basil leaves

2/3 lb ripe tomatoes

pinch of thyme

black pepper

salt

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 oz parsley

Soak the beans in a generous quantity of water overnight. The following morning, drain, put them in a pot with 2 qts lightly salted cold water, and let cook for 1 1/2 hours. Clean, wash and slice the cabbage, carrots, onion and leeks. Make a battuto with celery, basil and parsley. Thinly slice the pancetta. Put a pot on the stove with the oil, adding everything you have cut and minced (except the cabbage). Sauté over a low flame until the vegetables begin to get tender. Then add the cabbage and continue to cook over a low flame so that the vegetables can stew well. Add the tomatoes (peeled and chopped), a pinch of thyme and a pinch of pepper, and continue to cook over a low heat, stirring frequently. Pass about half the beans in a food sieve and add the resulting puree to the vegetables. Add this to the beans and their broth, stir well and let cook for one more hour. Offer extra virgin olive oil on the side.

NOTE: Black cabbage may be replaced with Savoy cabbage. Always add more broth if soup gets too thick.