First of all clean the kale: eliminate any outer leaves that are damaged, wash the others, pat them dry and remove their central ribs. To do this, hold each leaf firmly at the bottom of the stalk with one hand, then, once more at the bottom, grip it with the other hand and, holding tightly, move upwards along the stalk. Cut the kale into strips on a chopping board and set aside. Heat the oil with the garlic in a large, deep, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the washed cleaned and finely chopped carrot, celery and onion, together with the chilli pepper and sage in pieces. When the chopped vegetables have softened, remove the cloves of garlic, and add the strips of kale, along with half of the beans put through a food mill. Stir everything together, cook for a few minutes and then pour in the tomato juice. Season with salt and pepper, stir again and add enough water (or vegetable broth) to cover everything. Leave to cook for roughly another 30 minutes, stirring from time to time. At this point, add the beans you left whole (drained of their liquid) and continue cooking for half an hour. Now add the quick-cooking polenta, stir well immediately to prevent lumps forming and, if necessary, add more boiling water (ground cornmeal for polenta absorbs a lot). Leave on the stove long enough for the water to be absorbed thoroughly, then serve your “farinata” hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil, if possible “Olio Novo” (= new oil).