Leeks with Celery

Put pieces of celery in water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve celery stock. In a fresh saucepan, cook the heads and tender parts of leeks until 1/3 of the water has boiled away.

For the sauce, combine pepper, stock, and honey, and add to strained celery stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes to reduce. Put the cooked leeks into a new saucepan and pour the sauce over them. Heat the sauce with the leeks and serve.

The celery stalks may be added, if you wish.

1 bunch fresh celery

4 leeks

sauce:

½ t. ground pepper

¼ c. vegetable stock

2 c. celery stock

1 t. honey


Squash with Herbs and Spices

Peel and cut the squash, gourd, or pumpkin, into pieces, put in a pan with water, and cook till done. Press the water out of the cooked squash, and reserve liquid. Put the squash into a fresh pan.

For the sauce, in a mortar, grind together pepper, cumin, ginger, and rosemary (rue). Add vinegar, wine, and stock. Pour this sauce over the squash and simmer till well cooked.

Serve with a sprinkling of pepper.

1 medium sized squash, zucchini, or pumpkin

sauce:

½ t. ground pepper

¼ t. cumin

¼ t. ginger

pinch of rosemary (or rue)

1 t. cider vinegar

2 T. boiled red wine

½ c. squash stock

Cooked Cucumbers with Fennel

Slice the cumbers into a pot. Season with pepper, mint (or pennyroyal), and honey or raisin wine. Add stock and vinegar. Bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer gently. Sprinkle with fennel to taste, and serve when cucumbers are lightly cooked.

4 cucumbers, sliced

½ t. ground pepper

½ t. mint (or pennyroyal)

1 T. honey, or 2 T. sweet raisin wine

½ c. veal or chicken stock (used water instead to keep in veggie)

1 t. white wine vinegar

fennel


Cauliflower or Broccoli in Celery Mint Sauce

Take cauliflower, cabbage, or broccoli, quarter them, and put in a saucepan.

For the first sauce, combine the cumin, salt, wine, olive oil, and enough water to steam the vegetable. Add to the vegetables, bring to a boil, then simmer gently till done.

Meanwhile, in a mortar, grind pepper, celery seed (or lovage), mint, rosemary (or rue) and coriander. Add to stock, vinegar, and olive oil or butter. Bring to a boil, then simmer to reduce for 25 minutes. Serve over the cooked, strained vegetables.

(All three vegetables may be combined in this recipe).

1 cauliflower, cabbage, or bunch of broccoli

sauce:

¼ t. cumin

pinch of salt

2 T. white wine

1 T. olive oil

sauce number 2:

¼ t. ground pepper

½ t. celery seed (or lovage)

½ t. mint

pinch of rosemary (or rue)

¼ t. coriander

½ c. vegetable stock

2 T. white wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil or butter


Pickled Beets

Put whole beets into a saucepan and cover with water. Add mustard seed. Cook until the beets can be pricked easily with a fork. Drain and slice the beets into pints jars. Add mustard seed to each jar. In a saucepan, mix vinegar with water. Heat and then pour over the sliced beets. Seal. Yields two pints of pickled beets. Serve in oil and vinegar dressing.

Alternatively, cook the beets as above and slice them into a bowl. Add olive oil and vinegar. Stir well. Chill and serve. Use only tender beets.

3-4 medium beets

2 T. mustard seed

water

1 c. white wine vinegar

1 c. unchlorinated water

alternative:

½ c. olive oil

2 T. white wine vinegar


Carrots Cooked with Cumin

Slice carrots, cook in a little water, then drain. Add olive oil and cumin, to taste, and reheat with the carrots. Serve.

1 lb. carrots sliced

water

2 t. olive oil

½ t. cumin


Rice or Risum was originally imported as a luxury item from India.

Bread was eaten in Rome, but none of the recipes survived.

With Honey butter and Herb butter.


Drinks

Water

Lemonade

Grape juice from my grapes


Desserts

Dried fruits

Sugared Almonds

Biography

Edwards, John, Translated, The Roman Cookery of Apicius. 1984

Vehling, Joseph Dommers, Translator & Editor, Apicius Cookery and Dining in Imperial Rome Medieval Page Roman Page