SOUP

This is about as cheap and simple as you can get - but you have to like garlic (and so do your friends: be warned). You need enough for it almost to burn the tongue. If possible, serve· in deep individual bowls; otherwise, use one large bowl. For 3-4.

• INGREDIENTS.

2 medium onions

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 oz/250 g haricot beans, soaked overnight in cold water

Salt Pepper

3-4 slices wholemeal bread (weighing about 1'12 oz/40 g each without crust)

8--10 fat cloves garlic

3-4 oz/90--125 g Parmesan cheese to serve

Wok or large saucepan with a lid

• METHOD.

Peel and finely chop the onions. Fry in about I '12 tablespoons oil in the wokor large saucepan over low heatfor 12-15 minutes or until beginning to change colour.

2 Drain and rinse the beans and add to the onions with 2 pintsll litre fresh cold water (do not add salt). Bring to the boil and boil fast for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40-50 minutes or until the beans are tender when prodded with a fork. Add I teaspoon salt and a little pepper and simmer for 10-15 minutes more.

3 Cut the crusts from the bread. Peel and roughly chop the garlic, then crush as finely as possible with 2 teaspoons oil. Spread an equal quantity over each slice of bread. Put the bread into the bottom of the serving-bowls or large bowl.

4 Grate the Parmesan. Bring the soup to a sharp boil and pour over the bread in the bowl(s). Leave for a few minutes for the bread to soak and the flavour of the garlic to permeate the soup. Serve the Parmesan separately.

- CABBAGE CHEESE-

This is really quick. It does not take I�ng to prepare the ingredients and the cabbage cooks in 7-10 minutes.

As it is not very substantial. although satisfying at the time, serve it with bread, mashed potato, Baked Potato (see page 167), or Polenta (see page 128). For 2.

- INGREDIENTS-

4 ozll25 g button mushrooms

4 cloves garlic

1'12 oz/40 g Parmesan or

2 oz/50 g Cheddar cheese

8 oz/250 g green cabbage

I tablespoon oil

Salt Pepper

Saucepan with a lid

- METHOD-

Trim the stalks of the mushrooms; wash the mushrooms, blot dry with kitchen paper and slice finely. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Grate the cheese.

WHEN YOU'RE REALLY BROKE

2 Discard the outermost leaves of the cabbage, cut into 1j2 inchll cm slices, removing the central stem and any other thick pieces of stalk, and wash.

3 Warm the oil over medium heat in the saucepan. Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds or until just starting to change colour. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3-4 minutes or until soft, stirring continuously. Add 1j2 pinU300 ml water and the cabbage. Season lightly with salt and more generouslywith pepper, cover and steam for 6 minutes. Test the cabbage by cutting with a knife and continue to cook for 1-3 minutes or until just tender but still crisp. Drain and sprinkle immediately with the cheese; Cheddar will melt with the heat of the cabbage and coat the leaves almost like a thin sauce. Eat at once.