Farinata di cavolo nero (Tuscan Kale and Polenta Soup) Recipe

When I think of Tuscan cuisine, first and foremost, even before the classic bistecca alla fiorentina as wonderful as that is, I think of its hearty vegetable soups. The best known of these soups is probably  the ribollita, of course. But the most memorable Tuscan soup I’ve ever had was in a small trattoria in Florence. It was so many years ago that I’ve forgotten the name of the place, but I do remember the soup. It was called simply farinata on the menu, though the soup often goes by the longer name farinata di cavolo nero, perhaps to distinguish it from the Ligurian chickpea flatbread also called farinata. And like many classic Italian dishes, it goes by other names, too, such as infarinata, incavolata and Whatever you want to…