It was almost eight o’clock in the evening when we arrived at the restaurant of which Catharina had spoken of. We were ushered to a private corner and the waiter brought us “bruschette” with fresh tomato paste and garlic. Apparently the restaurant decided what their clients were going to eat, as nobody seemed to be able to order anything. Patiently waiting for what was being prepared for us, we discussed our strategy for the visit to the convent the next day.

I asked Catharina if she was convinced that the lady on the train had given us an accurate account of the situation of her sister in the convent. She smiled and softly stroke my cheek; ‘her story seemed genuine enough, although her emotional state could render things somewhat out of proportion. But yes, it looks like something is at least slightly out of the ordinary there, and I have a feeling we might be in for a surprise tomorrow,’ she spoke softly.

In an instant our table was filled with seafood by several waiters and as I had little or no experience with these delicacies, Catharina was showing me how to crush the paws of the crab in order to extrude the meat, forking the sea-snails and dipping them in vinaigrette sauce. ‘Hmmm, I could certainly get used to this’ I mumbled with my mouth full.

When we were through the first course, a fierce looking chef presented himself at our table. He adressed Catherina as if she was the most important person in the restaurant; ‘buona sera seniorina Catharina, what an enormous pleasure to have you here in my most humble kitchen, Salvatore’s niece, no less!’ he spoke in his deep baritone voice. While Catharina introduced us and he continued to spread his Latin charm, it became clear to me that Uncle Salvatore was evidently someone to be reckoned with…

‘I will bring you and your lovely friend, my most special dish: “La Soupe Paysanne” or Corsican Country Soup, which is a main course in my ristaurante, and with which I won 3* national competitions already!’

3*: The spiritual meaning of number Three deals with magic, intuition, fecundity, and advantage. The number Three invokes expression, versatility, and pure joy of creativity. Three is also a time identifier as it represents Past, Present and Future. Consecutive Threes in your life may symbolize the need to express yourself creatively, or consider your present directional path in relation to past events and future goals. Three may also represent promising new adventures, and assurance of cooperation from others whom you may require help. Three typically symbolizes reward and success in most undertakings.

Corsican Country Soup (Soupe Paysanne)

This is the most famous of all the Corsican soups. Shepherds would take some leftover with them into the mountains to eat cold. Besides the vegetables in the recipe below (the potatoes and tomato from the New World), some cooks also use carrots, celery, zucchini, leeks, and dandelion depending on the season.

For eight servings – preparation time 3* hours:

Ingredients:

• 1/4 pound pork fat, chopped
• 2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 small head green cabbage (about 1 1/ 2 pounds), cored and chopped
• 3/4 pound Swiss chard leaves (no white part), chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 6 cups water
• 1/2 pound red kidney beans (about 1 cup), picked over
• One ham or smoked bacon chunk with bone (about 1/ 2 pound)
• 1 large tomato (about 10 ounces), peeled, seeded and chopped
• 6 slices day-old French country bread or 1/ 4 pound lasagne sheets
• 1 tablespoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preparation:

1. In a large casserole or soup pot, cook the pork fat over medium-high heat until there is some fat in the bottom of the pot, about 5 minutes, stirring, then add the potatoes, cabbage, chard, onion, and garlic until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, add the beans, ham or smoked bacon, and tomato, and cook until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 hours.

2. Add the slices of bread or lasagne and continue to cook until a spoon can stand straight up in the center of the soup and, if using lasagne, the pasta is tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil, and serve.

Buon appetito!

(to be continued)