3 cups dried sugar beans
1 1/2  kg beef marrow bones
5 L Water
3 medium ripe tomatoes,
peeled, seeded and choped.
3 T vegetable oil
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
the peel of ½ a lemon
½ cup chopped leeks, including 3 cm of the tops
½ t ground mace
½ cup scraped carrots, thickly sliced
1 T salt
1 kg lean short ribs of beef,
                                                cut into 3 cm lengths
                                                freshly ground black pepper
                                                2 T finely chopped, fresh parsley

Wash the beans under running water in a colander.

In a large heavy casserole, bring the 5 L water to the boil. Drop the beans into the water. Boil uncovered for 2 min. Then turn off the heat and allow the beans to soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans using a fine sieve set over a bowl. Measure the liquid and add enough fresh water to make 5 L. Return the beans and liquid to the casserole. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add the onions, leeks and carrots and stirring frequently, cook the vegetables for about 5 min until they are tender. Watch for burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Transfer the onion mixture to a bowl using a slotted spoon, and set aside.

Add the short ribs and marrow bones to the beans and bring to the boil over a high heat, skimming off the foam as it rises to the surface. Add the reserved onion mixture, the tomatoes, lemon peel, mace and salt, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 2 hours, or until the beans are tender and the meat shows no resistance when pierced with the point of a sharp knife.

Remove the short ribs, marrow bones and the lemon peel from the soup and discard the marrow bones and peel. Remove the meat from the short ribs and cut into small pieces. Discard the bones and the fat.

Puree three quarters of the remaining content of the casserole. Return the pureed Vegetables and the liquid to the casserole, together with the reserved contents. This will add body to the puree mixture.

Add the meat, and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir constantly and cook over a moderate heat for a few min until the soup is heated.

2 T butter

2 Onions, sliced into rings

2 T flour

5 cups of heated chicken stock

Half a pumpkin, peeled and chopped

¼ t grated nutmeg

1/8 t ground cloves

½ t black pepper

1 t salt

2 cups milk

6 T cream

Melt the butter over a moderate heat in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 – 10 min until onions are soft and translucent but not brown.

Remove pan from the heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. Stir in the warm stock carefully to avoid lumps. Next stir in the pumpkin, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, salt and milk. Return saucepan to moderately heated plate and bring the mixture to the boil still stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Cover the pan and simmer soup for 30 min stirring occasionally, or until pumpkin is tender.

Remove the sauce from heat and strain the soup through a strainer into a large mixing bowl, pressing down on the pulp with the back of a wooden spoon to extract the juices. Discard the pulp. Return soup to a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Remove pan from heat and ladle soup into serving bowls

Garnish with paprika and swirl of cream 

4 Rashers of rindless bacon, cut into 1 cm pieces                              

½ t ground coriander

2 medium onions, peeled and thickly sliced                        

3 slices fresh white bread, with crusts removed

2 medium leeks, including the green stems, sliced           

3 T butter

2 l chicken stock                                                                               

½ cup heavy cream

1 kg medium potatoes,
peeled and sliced                            

 ¼ cup dry white wine

2 fresh parsley sprigs                                                                     

1 t salt

1 bay leaf                                                                                            

freshly ground black pepper

Fry the diced bacon in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat, turning frequently until the bacon is crisp and has rendered most of its fat. Transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside.

Meanwhile, cut the bread into ½ cm squares using small, sharp knife. (This should fill about 1 ½ cups).

Fry the bread in the bacon fat. Stirring frequently until the croutons are light brown on all sides. If necessary, add butter to the skillet, a tablespoon at a time. When the bread cubes are golden brown, drain on paper towels.

Add the onions and leeks to the saucepan, stirring frequently over moderate heat for about 5 min or until they are soft and translucent, but not brown.

Stir in the stock, potatoes, parsley, bay leaf and coriander, and bring these ingredients to the boil over high heat.

Reduce the heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer for 30 min or until vegetables are tender enough to be easily mashed against the sides of pan.

Discard the parsley sprigs and bay leaf. Then pour the content of the saucepan into a food processor, and puree the vegetables. Return the vegetables and their liquid to the saucepan and stir in the heavy cream, wine and salt. Grind a few black peppers into the liquid and cook over low heat for about 5 min until the soup is heated through.

Adjust seasoning to taste and serve in individual soup plates. Garnish with the croutons and bacon.