Here are some recipes Ancient Pompeiane, kindly provided by our friend Archemail.it.

EPITYRUM

Rattle and chop the black olives, possibly the biggest and dried (the “passolone” Sicilian, for example, or similar), using a blender. Slowly add a little ‘oil and a little’ of vinegar. Then add a pinch of ruta (if available, otherwise you can replace it with a little parsley and celery leaves), coriander seeds, cumin, wild fennel, mint. It will form in this way a sort of pate which can also be stored for more time in a glass jar in the refrigerator. The epyterum you can always use also mixed with whole olives of the same type.

CARROTS CUMINATE

Boil the carrots and cut into rounds. Prepare a sauce by chopping together very cumin with lovage (in the absence you can use parsley and celery leaves), dried mint and, if available, the nard. Combine honey, vinegar, and garum *. Season the carrots with this sauce and sprinkle everything with a small handful of cinnamon in place of malobatro, now unobtainable grass.

CHEESE WITH HERBS

Chop together the fresh and fresh pecorino cheese (eg ricotta roman type) at a ratio of 1/3 and 2/3 of fresh pecorino cheese. Add to the mix a sprig of savory, little ruta (failing to use parsley and celery leaves), a few leaves of green coriander, a stalk of celery, a couple of spring onions, a few rocket leaves and lettuce, a few pinches of thyme and mint. Mix with oil. Finally add a little ‘of vinegar and crushed pepper.

ROCKET IN GARUM (*)

Prepare as an ordinary salad, seasoning of rugola and corn salad (or other salad) with fresh onions (if you like), a little oil, a little vinegar, a handful of thyme and garum * (if necessary add a bit ‘of salt) .

DRINK WITH ROCKET

Considered highly aphrodisiac, the rocket could also be used as a refreshing drink. To prepare blend three leaves of arugula with a tablespoon of apple and a bit ‘of water. Slowly add more water until you come to a liter. The proportions can vary according to taste.

MORETUM

A short poem attributed to Virgil, called “Moretum”, in a long step describes the preparation of a tasty cheese garlic. We have adapted the recipe described (in particular, considerably decreasing the amount of garlic used since our palates are certainly more delicate than those of Romans rough peasants) and we tasted: really good! Boil some garlic in a saucepan, pass them in the blender along with the cheese (100 gr. Of cheese for each clove of garlic), celery, a pinch of coriander leaves and rue. Mix well, adding a little ‘oil and vinegar. If necessary add a little ‘of salt, if necessary

ACETARIA HERBAL RUSTIC

Prepare as a normal salad using watercress, burnet, chicory, borage, dandelion, lamb’s lettuce, purslane, chives, mint, carrot leaves, carrot, buttercup, mallow, arugula, leaves fava, crespigno, corn poppy, chervil, nut grass, fennel and wild garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and salt.

FLAN NETTLES

Blanch the nettles for a few minutes until they wilt, then tagliuzzarle or pass them through a food processor. Beat in a bowl of eggs (5 for a pound of nettle), mix with the other components and strain into a well-greased and floured crock that you will cook in a double boiler or in a moderate oven.

NETTLE IN SOUP

Cooked in water or steamed for a few minutes the leaves and tops keep nettle. Combine with onion and herbs (mint and lovage) added at the end. Serve with croutons rubbed with garlic and flavor with a drop of vinegar.

THE RAPE CURIO

Cut the sliced turnips and cook in a closed pan with a half inch of water. Drizzle with oil and vinegar.

CARIOTE FRIED

Cut the carrots into slices or sticks and fry. Prepare a sauce by blending together about twenty peppercorns, two stalks of celery and parsley, then add the garum, a teaspoon of honey and half a glass of red wine. Place the sauce on the fire by adding a little ‘oil and boiling slowly. When it is cooked, thicken the sauce with a little ‘starch and then season the carrots.

*GARUM.It was the usual practice of the Romans used different sauces to cover the flavors that sometimes did not have to be the best … In our selection of the most used was undoubtedly the garum, a fish sauce obtained with small (the name derives from the greek garon which was the name most of the fish used as the main ingredient). Garum was presented as a liquid almost golden taste rather strong and sour. It was used on almost all the dishes, but it was necessary to know dosed. Garum was even added to water to make it more tasty and refreshing, especially in summer. Even travelers always carried with him the flask of garum to use it at will. Garum was obtained with a procedure similar to that of today for salted anchovies with the difference that the fish was repeatedly scrambled to ensure that were macerated. In addition to salt it was added oil, wine, vinegar and various herbs; the mixture is then left to stand overnight in an earthenware pot and then was fermented outdoors, exposed to the sun, and stirred from time to time, for two or three months; at this point the liquid part was reduced and was filtered using a basket. The solid part was not being thrown, but it was used as food by taking the name of allec. Wanting to prepare today garum, you can follow the following procedure: in a crock pot put several alternating layers of chopped herbs, small fish and salt. At the end cover. After seven days, stirring with a wooden spoon and repeat once a day for twenty days. At this point press with force and collect the juice that is the garum. The pulp (allec) can be eaten separately. Having all this time available (and especially the necessary patience) you can try to defuse 3-4 anchovy fillets in hot oil or use a Indochinese sauce called “nuoc-nam”, for sale in specialized stores oriental cuisine.