1 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup french green lentils
1 bay leaf
2 whole canned tomatoes, drained, see, ded, and coar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 slices italian bread, cut into 1/4-, inch cubes
1/2 head escarole, cut crosswise into 1, -inch strips
2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Directions
1. In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and
carrot and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add lentils, bay leaf,
tomatoes, salt, pepper, and 5 1/2 C water. Bring to a boil, reduce
heat, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 40 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oven to 425F. Toast bread cubes on a bakingd
sheet, turning occasionally until golden brown, about 7 minutes.
3. Add escarole to soup and cook for 5 minutes more. Adjust
seasonings and serve in 4 bowls topped with croutons and olive oil.
Martha Stewart Living/October/94 Scanned & edited by Di Pahl &
Servings: 4 servings
Lentil & Escarole Soup - Martha Stewart Liv Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bean; Soup; Stew; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
Historians have traced the existance of recipes back into history, certainly as far back as pharonic Egypt, and possibly even further than that. Interesting though that is, in the main part, these early records were just very basic pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
In fact, the oldest recipe in existence, according to experts is a series of clay tablets in the Sumerian language describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel `wonderful`. Later on, in Roman times around 25BC a man called Apicius created a number of scripts detailing recipes cooked by his fellow Romans. In his works, Apicius describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were separated into starters, main course and dessert, something that is very familiar to us today. Aspicius also tells us how the Roman cooks used a wide range of spices and herbs, including some that we all recognise like bay, rue and parsley. Later on, we have some recipe books from the fourteenth century ; a recipe book called `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary called `Curye on Inglish`. The titles are somewhat misleading tho`, they are not about the curry that appears on menues today, but instead accounts of the types of food prepared by the chefs of the rich and powerful of that period. Later on in the 1400s, knights returning from the crusades brought us many foods, spices and herbs from Arab cooking, including spices like basil and coriander. These new foods and tastes was responsible for an increase in manuscripts on food, some of which are now in private libraries. For the next few years, the rich families of the West competed to offer the best banquets, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipe collections became highly prized. However, it was during the nineteenth century that formal cookery and recipe publications rose to prominence. Mrs Isabella Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the US, devoted their lives to assembling, testing, and recording recipes to allow everyone to enjoy them. By the advent of the twentieth century, cooking publications were in great demand, due to more people being able to read, people having increased leisure time and disposable income. The introduction of the TV brings us TV cookery programs and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting us all to access thousands of recipes just like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Lentil & Escarole Soup Martha Stewart Liv recipe.
