MIC WHATLEY’S RECIPE

The Old Cable Station’s Producers' Lunches happen four times a year, Autumn (April), Winter (July), Spring (Oct) and Summer (Jan), usually the second Sunday of those months but check website for  dates: www.oldcablestation.com.au (you can book on-line for this event).

MINESTRONE ALLA CABLE (GENOVESE, NORTHERN ITALY STYLE)

250gm borlotti beans (soaked overnight)
2 medium-sized onions, chopped finely

2 medium-sized carrots, chopped finely
3 or 4 stalks of celery, chopped finely

6-8 cloves of garlic, chopped finely

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

6 leaves chopped fresh sage

freshly ground black pepper to taste

400gm tinned chopped tomatoes (in juice)

3 whole peeled potatoes

3 litres vegetable stock (preferably homemade but can use a ready-made supermarket stock)

between a quarter and a half finely sliced savoy cabbage200gm green beans (top & tail, slice into bite sized pieces)

between a quarter and a half finely sliced cavolo nero

200 gm pasta ditalili (bite-sized pieces of angel hair pasta) or can use broken up pieces of other types of pasta
4 cups chopped silverbeet

METHOD

Saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic until golden. Add fresh herbs, pepper (and salt to taste), and keep stirring. Add tomato, potato and borlotti beans. Add stock, bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer for approximately 1.5 - 2 hours until borlotti beans are cooked and potato is soft. Mash potato with a fork through the soup (this helps to thicken the soup), add  green beans and cabbages and simmer for a further 10 minutes. Then add pasta and return to simmer for about 5 minutes, add silverbeet, and season to taste with salt and pepper, a pinch of cayenne and dash of Worcestershire sauce if liked.

Serve hot topped with a spoonful of fresh pesto and grated parmesan cheese.