OUR RECIPES

Boil the potatoes with skins in a pot large enough for water (salted) to cover potatoes. Insert a small knife into a potato to test for doneness. It should come out easily. Drain potatoes, cool and drain overnight. The next day peel the potatoes and grate into a large bowl. Add half of the flour gradually and knead until mixture is soft and smooth, but still slightly sticky. Add more flour as needed, but not too much to avoid making the gnocchi dense and heavy.

Dust a work surface with flour. Divide mass into two or more parts and shape into sausage like rolls, about 1-inch thick. Slice each roll into 3/8-inch pieces. To shape the gnocchi use a dinner fork with long tines. Hold the fork parallel to the surface with concave side facing you. With the index finger of your other hand, hold one of the cut pieces just below the tips of the prongs. At the same time you are pressing the piece against the prongs, flip it away from the tips and in the direction of the fork handle. As the piece rolls away from the prongs, let it drop to the work surface. Repeat with remaining gnocchi. Place gnocchi on baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove stems from tomatoes and cut them in half crosswise. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down with the pepper. Roast under broiler until skins are completely charred. Remove from heat and remove skins from the tomatoes and pepper. Put tomatoes only back under broiler and lightly char the flesh of the tomatoes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Pre-heat a sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. Once the garlic is slightly toasted, add the onion. Stir to combine. Lightly caramelize the onion stirring occasionally being careful not to burn the garlic. Remove tomatoes from the pan to a work surface reserving the juices left in the pan. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and the pepper. By now, the onions and garlic should be translucent. Add the tomatoes, pepper and juices from the roasting pan to the sauce pan. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat slightly and let sauce simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the gnocchi and stir so they don't stick. Once the gnocchi float, drain well and return to pot. Add half the sauce, basil and Parmesan cheese and stir gently to incorporate. Divide among four bowls. Spoon remaining sauce on top and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion and leek until they turn translucent. Add garlic. Sauté for one minute and add the remaining vegetables. Season with salt and stir well to incorporate all the vegetables. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until vegetables have reduced in volume by half. Stir again and add water to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Add the tomato paste and stir to dissolve. Add springs of rosemary and thyme. Cover and cook the soup for one hour. Add the beans and stir to combine. Bring back to boil over medium heat and it's ready to eat - but not yet a true Ribollita unless you also eat it the next day! Cool and refrigerate.

The next day add the sliced bread and over medium heat bring the soup back to a boil. Now the soup has been re-boiled (ribollita) and should be thick enough to eat with a fork. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and enjoy.