Aquila:Columelia Salad (Nova Roma)

Columella's writings suggest that Roman salads were a match for our own in richness and imagination.

"Addito in mortarium satureiam, mentam, rutam, coriandrum,apium, porrum setivum, aut si nn eritviridem cepam, folia latucae, folia erucae, thymum, virede, vel nepetum, tum et viride puleium, et caseum recentam, e salsum: ea omnia partier conterito, acetique piperati exiguum, permisceto. Hanc mixturam cum in catillo composurris, oleum superfundito."

"Put savory in the motar with mnt, fue, coriander, parsley, sliced leek, or, if it is not available, onion, letuce, and rocket leaves, green thyme, or catmint. Also pennyroyal and salted fresh cheese. This is all crushed together. Stir in a little peppered vinegar. Put this mixture on a plat and pour oil over it."

---

Food and Spices:

This is a wonderful salad, unusual for the lack of salt (perhaps the cheese was salty enogh) and that Columella crushes the ingredients in the mortar.

• 100g fresh mint (and /or pennyroyal);
• 50g fresh coriander;
• 50g fresh parsley;
• 1 small leek;
• a sprig of fresh thyme;
• 200g salted fresh cheese;
• vinegar;
• pepper;
• olive oil.

Follow Columella' method for this salad using the ingriedients listed above.

In other salad recipes Columella adds nuts, which might not be a bad idea with this one.

Article submitted by Marca Arminia Maior.

Apart from lettuce and rocket many plants were eaten raw - watercress, mallow, sorrel, goosefoot, purslane, chicory, chervil, bee greens, celery, basil, and many other herbs

Note:--- The first sentence of the third paragraph is not a mistake on my part. That is what the author has to say.

Some comments on this author:

"Patrick Faas's "Around The Roman Table" is a smorgasbord of gastronomic wonders and delights"- Indepenent on Sunday.

"There are many misconceptions about the food of ancient Rome that Faas sets out to correct. The result is half cookbook, half history book, and is enirely facinating to both chef and antquarian alike"-Washington Times.

Reference:

Eight Recipes from "Around the Roman Table, Food and Fasting in Ancient Rome," by Patrick Faas