Sometimes the twist tie just didn’t get twisted tightly. Sometimes last night’s dinner party involved a bit too much wine and not enough bread. In any case, don’t dismiss the value of day-old bread. This artisanal treasure can be turned into a number of sweet and savory dishes that may actually (dare we say) be better than the loaf itself.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery and pancetta. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and juice, cannellini beans, chicken broth and herbes de Provence and bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans break down.
Stir in the kale and torn bread.
Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture to a thick, porridge-like consistency.
Serve with Parmesan cheese.
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
4 oz. pancetta, diced (or bacon)
1 15-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes (with their juice)
2 15-oz. cans cannellini beans
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
3 cups freshly chopped kale
1 slice day-old bread, roughly torn into pieces
Parmesan cheese for serving
This article appears in November 2012.