Here is a recipe for Lentil soup, apparently it is a traditional dish in Italy over the New Year. Maybe they are hoping that a fair wind will blow for the next twelve months?

Ingredients - serves 4

1 onion, finely chopped
150g finely diced carrot
150g finely diced celery
150g bacon lardons
2 tbsp olive oil
2 x cans Essential chopped tomatoes
300g Essential Puy lentils
1.5ltr Marigold Swiss vegetable bouillon (or cooking liquid from gammon)
salt, pepper
150g finely shredded cavolo nero leaves

150g Parmesan shavings
dash of tobasco

Method

Sweat the onion, carrot, celery and lardons in the olive oil for a few minutes then add the chopped tomatoes and gently simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle in the rinsed lentils, season, and stir in the bouillon - I prefer liquid from cooking a piece of gammon (if you do, go easy on the salt) because lentils and bacon go well together - but any stock or broth will do. Also add the chopped cavolo nero and now simmer everything for about half an hour or until both lentils and greens are tender. Finally, before serving, stir in a dash of tobasco and then ladle into warm bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan shavings.