9:05 AM 3/23/98
rfc

MINESTRA DI PANE E RIBOLLITA

Minestra di pane is one of the best uses for sliced Tuscan bread (crusty, firm of
crumb, and without salt) I have ever come across. Tuscans make this hearty winter
soup with cavolo nero, a long-leafed variety of winter cabbage whose leaves are a
very dark purplish green. If you cannot find cavolo nero, use the tender small
leaves of black-leaf kale. To serve six you will need:

     1 pound dried white beans, washed and soaked for three hours
     A small onion, a small carrot, a six inch stick of celery, and a small bunch
of parsley, minced together
     1/4 cup olive oil
     1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
     1/2 pound cavolo nero or black-leaf kale, shredded
     1 pound beet greens, ribbed and shredded
     1/2 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
     Salt, pepper, and a sprig of thyme
     Thinly sliced day old Italian or French white bread
     Olive oil (to be used at the table)

Boil the beans in lightly salted water. When theyre almost cooked, saut the onion
mixture in the oil, in a heavy bottomed pot. When the onion has become translucent,
add the tomato paste and the liquid from the beans. Add the cabbage, beet greens,
and potatoes. Stir in the beans and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a sprig
of thyme. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked (taste a piece for doneness), and
remove the thyme. Take an oven-proof  serving dish and fill it with alternating
layers of thinly sliced bread and soup, making sure the bread is damp, until the
soup is used up.

Served immediately, this dish is called minestra di pane, or bread soup. However,
it improves dramatically with age, so much that when its reheated and served the
next day its called ribollita, reboiled, and is one of the few reasons to get
excited about the arrival of winter.

Serve it as a first course, with a cruet of extra virgin olive oil so your diners
can sprinkle it into their soup according to their taste. The wine? A light zesty
red, for example a Chianti Putto would go well, as would a ros.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

ITALIAN  VEGETABLE  BREAD  SOUP

2 lg. onions, cut into thin wedges
1 lb. carrots, pared and cut
   diagonally in 1/2 inch slices (2
   c.)
2 med. celery stalks, cut diagonally
   into 1/2 inch slices (1 1/2 c.)
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. olive oil
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped
   spinach, thawed
1 (28 oz.) can Italian style tomatoes
1 (1 lb.) can chick peas (garbanzo
   beans) drained or red kidney beans
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano, crumbled
1/4 tsp. leaf basil, crumbled
12 one inch thick slices French
   bread, toasted
16 oz. vegetable broth (or chicken

  1. Saute onions, carrots, celery, zucchini and garlic in oil in a large
saucepan, until vegetables are soft.  Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon to
a large bowl.  Add spinach, tomatoes with their liquid beans, salt, pepper,
oregano and basil; stir gently to mix well.    2. Return 1/3 of vegetable
mixture to saucepan; top with 6 slices French bread.  Another 1/3 of vegetable
mixture, the remaining bread and remaining vegetable mixture.  3. Pour
vegetable broth over vegetable bread mixture, bring to boiling; lower heat;
cover; simmer 30 minutes or until heated through.  Remove from heat; let stand
10 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.  Serve in deep bowls, passing
additional cheese.  

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

BUNNA GOTE
(Italian Bread Soup) 

3/4 loaf Italian bread
6 eggs
1 qt. water
3 Tbsp. olive
2 stalks celery
1 onion
1 clove garlic
2 tsp. parsley flakes

Fry onion, garlic and celery; pour in water and let
boil. Add parsley and 2 cups chicken broth. Break eggs, but
do not scramble. Add to water. Break bread up and add to
water.

-- 
This is a recipe from our database at Cookbooks On/Line!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

frug
Bread Soup

	4 cups chicken stock
	4 cups beef stock
	1/2 cup white wine
	4 Tbsp olive oil'
	3 cloves garlic
	1 med yellow onion, peeled and chopped
	2 ribs of celery, chopped
	3 medium tomatoes, chopped
	1 bay leaf
	1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
	1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
	1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
	1/2 lb Italian Peasant Bread or crusty French bread, cut into
	    1-inch cubesm dried overnight on a sheet pan

				Garnishes

	Grated Parmesan chees
	Chopped parsley
	
	Heat the chicken stock, beef stock, and wine in a 4- to 6-qt pot. Heat
a large frying pand and add 2 Tbsps of the oil and the garlic, onions,
and celery. Saut for 5 minutes. Add the tomato and saut 5 minutes
more. Add to the pot of stock along with the bay leaf, redpepper flakes,
basil, and parsley. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
	Heat the frying pan again and add the remaining 2 Tbsps of oil. Add the
dried bread cubes and toast them until light golden brown. Do not burn. 
Add to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taske. Simmer for 15 minutes and
serve with grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.

