700 gr. fresh beans (red or kidney)
350 gr. ripe tomatoes
200 gr. potatoes
1 black cabbage
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
some parsley
350 gm stale Tuscan bread
5 tbspn extravirgin olive oil (add extra according to taste)
1 hot pepper (Capsicum)
salt and pepper

In a large saucepan sautee the garlic, diced onion, chopped carrot, celery and parsley in the oil until golden brown.
Wash and cut the remaining vegetables. Add them to the saucepan and stirr constantly for 15 mins over a medium heat.
Boil the beans in a separate saucepan. Once they are cooked, add them to the vegetables with enough broth to cover the vegetables. Cook the combined ingredients for 45 mins over a medium heat.
Cut the stale bread into slices and cover the bottom of a tureen. Alternate layers of bread and vegetables until the pot is full.
If you don't finish your "Minestra di Pane" in one sitting you can reheat it the following day adding some extra olive oil The result is the famous Ribollita.
Enjoy your meal and let us know how you enjoyed this traditional Tuscan cuisine!

Ingredients:

4 Servings: 4 slices country-style bread - sliced 3/4-inch thick 1 garlic clove, unpeeled 1/2 cup or more extra virgin olive oil - Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper Toast, grill or broil bread slices until lightly colored on both sides. Rub the garlic clove over the bread's surface. Drizzle at least 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (barely enough for any self-respecting Tuscan) over each slice of toasted bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Ingredients:
300 gr of chiken liver
100 gr of minced beef
half Tuscan pork sausage
one anchovie fillet
five capers
half onion
one clove of garlic
1/2 of a carot
celery and parsil
one cup of broth
salt and pepper
olive oil
slices of homemade bread

: finely chop up the onion with the garlic, the carot, the celery, the persil and the capers. Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil e put the chopped herbs to brown on a small flame. When the onion starts to brown, add some of the broth and let it evaporate. Wash and dry the chiken livers then put them to cook with the herbs together with the minced beef and the sausage, for some minutes, then add the rest of the broth. Let everything cook for 15 minutes then add the chopped up anchovie and cook slowly other five minutes. When it's done, beat everything and spread it warm on the slightly toasted bread slices.

Ingredients:
500 gr of stale bread (three days old)
two onions
one cucumber
four tomatoes
basil oil, salt, pepper, vinegar.

It's a classic first course of Tuscany tradition. Nowadays is mostly served as antipasto or salad. It is fit for improvisation as long as you have good stale bread and fresh vegetables. Break the stale bread in big pieces and put it in fresh water for few minutes. Then squeeze it and crumble it. Chop up onions, tomatoes, peeled cucumber and basil. Add to the bread and dress with abundant olive oil, salt and pepper. Put in the fridge. Add vinegar just before serving.

Cover the beans with cold, unsalted water, and soak for 12 hours or overnight. Drain the beans, and add them to a pot with the onion, carrot, celer, garlic head, bay leaves and salt and pepper. Cover with 6 cups of waterand bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the heat and cool. Drain the beans, and discard the carrots, onion, celery and bay leaf. Heat the olive oil in the pot and once hot add the minced garlic. Cook for just a minute or two or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until much of the tomato juice has evaporated. Return the beans to the pot, and squeeze the cooked garlic pulp from the head of garlic into the pot with the beans and tomatoes. Add the sage leaves and taste. Adjust the seasonings with additional salt and pepper if needed. Cook on low for an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately, or at room temperature, with a little more extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top.