Recipe for
Aliter holus molle ex foliis
lactucarum cum cepis
(Puree of lettuce leaves with onions)
by Apicius, III, XV, 3
AFAIK, this recipe comes from Edwards and was inserted by original site author (I will say again to PLEASE buy these author's books! By doing so, you will help support them — even for books that are older and might not sell as well anymore... These authors do not do this for money, they do it for love. Please support them!
Sounds a bit "ookey" but it's not. As we say, try the different stuff — it's not bad, just different. As I was researching at where the orginal author had found this recipe (and finding the correct Latin name, recipe, etc.), my best guess is that I think it might have been Edwards — hence the "buy box." But, in searching, I also found a great version on the Edesian Experiments website. I do try and ask before using stuff, but I can find no contact there, so I am taking a chance... :-o Thalia, please contact me :-) And, anyone interested in this cooking, it's a great website! Lots of this kind of Roman cooking. Give it a look!!
Original recipe: Coques ex aqua nitrata, expressa concides minutatim. In mortario teres piper, ligusticum, apii semen, mentam siccam, cepam, liquamen, oleum et vinum.
Translation: Another vegetable mash recipe made with lettuce leaves: cook them with onions in water with soda. Squeeze the water out and chop finely. In a mortar pound pepper, lovage, celery seed, dry mint, onion, liquamen, oil, and wine.
Ingredients
- 1 small head of romaine lettuce
- 1 medium onion
- baking soda
- a few peppercorns
- 1½ t. celery seed
- 1 teaspoon dry mint
- 1 t. garum
- 1 T. olive oil
- ¼ c. wine
Preparation
- Place the vegetables in a pan with a little water ans steam until tender.
- Drain, press and chop very finely.
For the sauce:
- in a mortar, grind the pepper, lovage (or celery seed)
- Add to mint,stockolive oil, and vinegar.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes to reduce.
- Pour over the vegetable puree and serve.
