Tuscan Minestrone

This minestrone is dead easy and will make enough for you to keep revisiting over a busy week. Of course, the process is all the more enjoyable with a glass of vino in hand, but that's up to you. Ingredients: Glug of olive oil 1 brown onion, diced 2 carrots, diced 2 sticks celery, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 large rasher bacon, chopped (bacon bones can also be used) 1 tin cannellini beans, rinsed 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped 2 fresh tomatoes, diced 1 tin diced tomatoes 200mL red wine 500ml vegetable stock (if you prefer a different stock, use it - I use vegetable for less salty interference) A couple of bayleaves Salt and pepper Method: In a large saucepan with a glug of oil set to medium heat, saute the onion, celery and carrot. Once it's gained a bit of colour, add the garlic and bacon and season. After a couple of minutes more, add the fresh tomato, tinned tomato, cannellini beans, kale, red wine and bay leaf. Give it all a stir and bring to the boil. Now is an ideal time to have a slurp of the vino in your hand.. right? Once at the boil, reduce to a simmer for at least an hour. The same old drill applies, longer and slower is better with tasting along the way. Serve with some crusty bread and a bottle of your favourite red gear. This sort of soup can accommodate an everyday Shiraz or Cabernet, to an aromatic Grenache, Sang or Barbera.