A quarter of an onion
Half a stalk of celery
A few leaves of sweet basil
A bunch of parsley, cut up fine
Half a cupful of pure olive oil
A pinch of salt and one of pepper
Eight or nine tomatoes, sliced (Eight or nine tablespoonfuls of conserve can be used instead of fresh tomatoes)

"Mince a quarter of an onion, half a stalk of celery, a few leaves of sweet basil, and a bunch of parsley, cut up fine. Add half a cupful of pure olive oil, a pinch of salt and one of pepper, and cut eight or nine tomatoes into slices. Boil until the sauce is as thick as cream, stirring occasionally, then strain through a sieve and serve. Eight or nine tablespoonfuls of conserve can be used instead of fresh tomatoes."

This recipe was taken from "Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen" by Ann Janet Ross. The book was published by JM Dent & Co. in 1900 (London). For the complete cookbook see www.archive.org.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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