I am about to leave to Italy for a two weeks visit home; while getting ready nostalgic feelings and recollections come to mind. Florence, Tuscany, ready or not, here I come! This recipe of quintessential Tuscan ingredients for a delightfully hearty dinner dish instinctively came to mind: some things run in your blood.

Ingredients for four people:

2 small bunches of Tuscan kale, about 8 full cups

1 can of Cannellini beans

2 finely chopped cloves of garlic

1 cup of vegetable broth

1 and 1/2 to 2 tsp of crushed Cayenne pepper, to taste

3 to 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

8 slices of Italian bread about 3/4 of an inch thick

What to do:

Wash and chop the kale.

In a pan pour the olive oil on medium heat, add the garlic cooking for about one minute, until yellow-brownish, stirring.

Add the kale to the garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted, stirring often. Add the vegetable broth, Cannellini beans (drained and rinsed) and the Cayenne pepper.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes on reduced heat to soften the kale, still occasionally stirring.

Toast the bread well and put two slices on four bowls. Pour the Tuscan kale and Cannellini with their broth on top of the bread crostoni (they will soak up the flavorful broth) and serve, with Chianti wine. It will be easy to pretend to be enjoying a deliciously clever peasant meal in the Tuscan country side. Alla Salute!