Roman Recipes
Some of you know this, some of you don't: I'm part of a Roman living history group. Being the only female and (until just last month) the only civilian in our legion, I felt it was my duty to learn and cook some Roman food. Under the cuts are some of the recipes that I've had luck with. They are all adapted from a fantastic cookbook called Roman Cookery by Mark Grant.
Ptisana (Barley Soup)
1 Leek
3/4 c. Pearled Barley
1 t. Dried Dill
1/4 c. Olive Oil
2 T. White Wine Vinegar
Sea Salt
Slice the leek. Place all ingredients into a pan with 2 Pints of water. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The soup should be thick, but add more water as needed.
I also like to add roasted garlic to this, as it gives it a bit more flavour. And, being soup, you can add more barley or spices to your taste.
Phakoptisana (Lentil and Barley Soup)
1 Leek
1/3 c. Pearled Barley
1/2 c. Red Lentils
Fresh Dill
Fresh Savory
Sea Salt
Slice the leek. Finely shop the Dill and Savory. Place all ingredients into a pan with 2 Pints of water. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Like the above recipe, I recommend adding a bit of roasted garlic. You can also play with the amounts of the ingredients to fit your tastes.
Cucumeres (Braised Cucumbers)
1 Large Cucumber
3 T. White Wine Vinegar
3 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Honey
Sea Salt
Peel and cut the cucumber into thick slices. Pour the White Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Honey into a heavy pan and cook the cucumber slices until they are tender. Serve hot.
My mom makes something almost exactly like this, except she uses Apple Cider Vinegar and serves it cold.
Maza: Barley Cakes
1 1/3 c. Barley Flour
1/3 c. All-Purpose Flour
100 ml. Water
3 T. Honey
2 T. Olive oil
Combine all ingredients. The dough should be firm and supple. Roll dough as flat as possible on a floured board. Cut dough into 4" circles, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool on a wire rack.
The original recipe didn't call for All-Purpose Flour, but the dough was just too sticky without it. Next time I think I'll use the Vitamix and see if I can get the barley flour to be not so coarse. I also think I'll be using the pasta maker to get the dough thinner.
You can add pretty much anything you want to this recipe. I had nice results with poppy seeds, but other herbs and spices would probably work as well.
Ptisana (Barley Soup)
1 Leek
3/4 c. Pearled Barley
1 t. Dried Dill
1/4 c. Olive Oil
2 T. White Wine Vinegar
Sea Salt
Slice the leek. Place all ingredients into a pan with 2 Pints of water. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. The soup should be thick, but add more water as needed.
I also like to add roasted garlic to this, as it gives it a bit more flavour. And, being soup, you can add more barley or spices to your taste.
Phakoptisana (Lentil and Barley Soup)
1 Leek
1/3 c. Pearled Barley
1/2 c. Red Lentils
Fresh Dill
Fresh Savory
Sea Salt
Slice the leek. Finely shop the Dill and Savory. Place all ingredients into a pan with 2 Pints of water. Simmer gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Like the above recipe, I recommend adding a bit of roasted garlic. You can also play with the amounts of the ingredients to fit your tastes.
Cucumeres (Braised Cucumbers)
1 Large Cucumber
3 T. White Wine Vinegar
3 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Honey
Sea Salt
Peel and cut the cucumber into thick slices. Pour the White Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Honey into a heavy pan and cook the cucumber slices until they are tender. Serve hot.
My mom makes something almost exactly like this, except she uses Apple Cider Vinegar and serves it cold.
Maza: Barley Cakes
1 1/3 c. Barley Flour
1/3 c. All-Purpose Flour
100 ml. Water
3 T. Honey
2 T. Olive oil
Combine all ingredients. The dough should be firm and supple. Roll dough as flat as possible on a floured board. Cut dough into 4" circles, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool on a wire rack.
The original recipe didn't call for All-Purpose Flour, but the dough was just too sticky without it. Next time I think I'll use the Vitamix and see if I can get the barley flour to be not so coarse. I also think I'll be using the pasta maker to get the dough thinner.
You can add pretty much anything you want to this recipe. I had nice results with poppy seeds, but other herbs and spices would probably work as well.