coarse sea salt to taste

coarse sea salt to taste

Ingredients 
leaves from a large handful of fresh basil
2 small tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed
and chopped (see p22)
freshly ground black pepper
25g (scant 1oz) mimolette cheese, grated
3 tbsp olive oil
1 ham hock, or a thick piece of smoked
bacon, about 150g (51⁄2oz)
200g (7oz) fresh white haricot beans,
such as cannellini, shelled
100g (31⁄2oz) fresh red haricot beans,
such as borlotti, shelled
250g (9oz) flat green beans, sliced
2 medium floury potatoes, diced
3 tomatoes, skinned, seeds removed
and chopped (see p22)
4 medium courgettes, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g (31⁄2oz) small macaroni

 Procedure
A: To make the pistou, pound the garlic in a mortar with a pestle, then
add a little salt and the basil and pound to a paste. Add the tomatoes
and continue pounding and mixing until you have a thick sauce. Add
pepper, the cheese, and the oil, mix well, and adjust the seasoning.

B: For the soup, put 2 litres (31⁄2 pints) cold water in a large stewing pot.
Add the ham hock. Bring to a simmer, then partly cover and leave to
bubble gently for 30 minutes, skimming occasionally.

C:Meanwhile, put the haricot beans in a saucepan, cover with plenty of
cold water, and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, drain and
refresh. Add all the vegetables to the stewing pot. Season lightly. Return to a
simmer, then part-cover and bubble gently for 1 hour, skimming occasionally.

D: Remove the ham hock and shred the meat. Lift half of the ingredients
out of the pan, mash with a fork, then return to the soup with the ham.
Add the macaroni and cook until just tender. Stir in the pistou, and serve.