Four pounds of fresh green peas
One quart of milk
Four ounces of butter
Two tablespoonfuls of flour
Salt
Grated nutmeg

"Shell four pounds of fresh green peas, put them in an earthen pot, cover them with cold water, and boil for twenty minutes. Take out one cupful of peas. Rub the rest through a sieve, and mix in an earthen pot with one quart of milk, four ounces of butter, and two tablespoonfuls of flour. Stir until the soup is thick, add a pinch of salt and of grated nutmeg, and the whole peas, and serve very hot."

This recipe was taken from "Leaves from our Tuscan Kitchen or, How to Cook Vegetables" by Ann Janet Ross. The book was published by JM Dent & Co. in 1900 (London). For the complete cookbook see www.archive.org. A variety of recipes from this cookbook can also be found on this website.... P.S. I tried this recipe and found it quite good. I garnished the soup with coarsely chopped roasted almonds and that I believe improved the flavor. Photo: Mary Melfi.

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