Heat oven to 350°F. Place baguette slices on large ungreased cookie sheet. Bake on bottom rack 10 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Meanwhile, in 3-quart saucepan, mix beans with liquid, onion, garlic, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover. Simmer 8 minutes, stirring once or twice. Stir in kale. Cover; cook 5 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring once. Uncover; cook until most of liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat. Stir in olive oil, vinegar, pepper flakes and tomato. Remove bay leaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Spoon about 1 & 1/2 tablespoons mixture on each baguette slice. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Tip: A baguette is a narrow crusty loaf of bread. If it isn’t available, you can use part of a loaf of French bread. Cut each slice in half crosswise, as they are quite a bit larger in diameter than baguettes. If your baguette is larger than 10 ounces, cut the remaining baguette into cubes; bake until crisp for croutons.

To prepare ahead, bake baguette slices and store at room temperature loosely covered. Cover and refrigerate the bean mixture up to 1 day. Let stand at room temperature before using.