This is us the first night in Italy. We had a good nap after a long train ride to Camuchia, at the foot of the hill where Cortona presides over a magnificent view of Tuscany. Here is a view to the North side of town. This is a view toward the South and Umbria:

The next day we met our friends:

Wine with Hors d'œuvre at Catherine's restored mill house in Mercatale near Cortona Dan the Man in a field of buttercups behind the same mill house. Chinese restaurant where we ate fried rice that had pine nuts! Hey, it's Orvieto! Street life invades cafe life off Piazza del Republicca in Cortona, Italy. 
We had breakfast of cappuchino and breads or pastry at a cafe where this picture was taken.

View from near Cortona. Lake Trasimeno in distance. This agricultural influence you could taste in the simple foods of the region.

Ribollita

Ribollita is a delicious Italian soup, but don’t ask for bread to go with it – not unless you don’t mind looking slightly eccentric in Italy.

Why? Well, it’s a classic Tuscan soup that's made with stale bread, so it’s very filling. Poor country people didn’t waste anything - and this was a great way of using up leftovers.

The name ribollita means ‘re-boiled’ and it would have been reheated day after day – increasing in flavour each time. There are different versions of the recipe, but the main ingredients are: stale bread, cannellini (white) beans and green leafy vegetables - some versions also add sausage or prosciutto. Adapt the recipe below to your taste.

Ingredients:

• 1 small green cabbage
• 4-5 handfuls of other green leafy vegetables (I like cavolo nero best)
• 1 leek
• 1 stick of celery
• 2 carrots
• 1 large tomato
• 1 large onion (red is best)
• Olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic (optional)
• 6-8 slices of stale white bread (Italian if possible)
• 250-300 grams (around 8.8-10.6 ounces) of cannellini (white) beans – pre cooked or canned
• salt, pepper
• About 1.2 litres (around 5.2 cups) cold water
• 4 Italian sausages (chopped) or 2 slices of prosciutto (optional)

Method

Roughly chop all the vegetables. Dice the onion, sauté it in a little olive oil (amount can vary to your taste). Crush or slice the garlic and add to the oil, soften it, then add all the vegetables. Let them soften gently too.

Add the water, (if you’re using meat you can add it at this stage) bring it to the boil, then let it all simmer for around 1 and a half hours. Add more water if desired. Stir in the beans, season with salt and pepper, and add the sliced bread.

Let it boil for 10 minutes, then serve – perhaps drizzled with more olive oil and sprinkled with Parmesan.

An alternative method is not to add the bread to the soup as it cooks, but to use the slices to line the tureen or bowl. The soup is then poured on top of it and soaks in.

Warming and satisfying on a chilly winter’s day.

Ristorante Enoteca il Castello, Via del Castello 20 - 53037 San Gimignano (Siena) - Italy