Soups

There are Few Things More Wholesome and nourishing than a big bowl of real, honest soup. In terms of the peasant household, where wasting food was rightly considered a cardinal sin, a soup neatly solved the problem of how to make something delicious out of the left-overs. Minestrone translates literally as ‘Big Soup’, in other words a soup which is an entire meal. It originated in Lombardy, a flat, uninterrupted landscape, whose inhabitants are often fog- and snow-bound – making it a perfect setting for the eating of soup. Lombard farms tend to be enormous buildings with plenty of space for families and animals, fortresses against the inclement weather and unsympathetic intruders. Imagine, if you can, being trapped inside your vast farm in mid-winter. There is a huge fire roaring in the grate, and outside all is grey, dark and damp. This is most certainly not the moment for a cheese soufflé with prawn sauce: what you need is a bowl of soup filled with vegetables and rice or pasta, all simmered in the best-quality broth. Into the broth and/or Minestrone itself go any scrap leftovers – to be instantly transformed into something memorable!