300 g./10 oz. black beans or dry beans - 1 onion - 250 g./9 oz. smoked bacon - 2 sprigs rosemary - 2 teaspoons salt - 1 tablespoon dry oregano - olive oil - 200 g./7 oz. yellow polenta flour - 1 lime.
Rinse beans, cover with water and leave to soak overnight.
Drain and place in an earthenware together with 50 g./2 oz. diced bacon, 1/2 chopped onion and the rosemary; cover with water and cook with a lid over a moderate flame for 1 ½ - 2 h. Remove lid, add salt and end cooking for approximately 20'; blend stewed beans with 1/2 liter of water.
Dice remaining bacon, simmer in a pan, keep to one side and simmer 1/2 chopped onion in bacon fat: add bean purée, rosemary and oregano, add salt and cook for 10' with lid: if the soup is too thick, add cup of water.
Prepare small amount of thick polenta with salted boiling water and corn flour (you can also use pre-cooked flour), leave to cool on a cutting-board, cut into fairly thick rectangular slices. In a pan heat oil and fry slices of polenta, turning until golden brown, drain and dry on cooking paper.
Pour bean soup into separate bowls and dress with slides of polenta, diced bacon and slice of lime.
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eans were already known in ancient times in Italy, but only the "eye" variety. Furthermore, they were eaten by peasants and were not widely appreciated. The beans we know today are from the New World and were first planted in Europe in Belluno at the start of the Sixteenth century. 
