White bean and aromatic vegetable ragout

Drain and rinse the beans.

Dice the onion, carrot and celery into about quarter inch cubes, the size of the beans.

Sweat the mirepoix in about two tablespoons olive oil in a four quart pot over medium heat, without color, five to six minutes until just starting to soften.

Add three cloves chopped garlic.

Season with two nice pinches of salt and ground black pepper, and stir in the herbes de Provence.

Add just enough chicken stock to barely cover and simmer five minutes.

Add the beans gently, keeping them whole, with more stock just to cover.

Add one bay leaf and two rounded spoons of pepernata or other tomato product.

Simmer on low until everything is tender, 10 to 15 minutes, checking the carrot.

Shave the parsley leaves off the stems with a sharp knife at a 45 degree angle and chop coarsely.

Fold in the parsley without crushing the beans; taste and adjust salt.

Ladle onto a plate, not too soupy, and serve under roasted lamb shank, grilled chicken or fish.