Italian Recipes

Serves 4-6

2 potatoes, coarsely chopped
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 leeks, trimmed and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 turnips, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
3 cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped
salt

1. Place all the vegetables in a large pan, pour in 6 1/4 cups water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, then strain into a bowl pressing down well on the vegetables with a spoon.

1/4 cup of olive oil
4 cloves of garlic sliced in half
1 35oz can of imported Italian tomatoes
3 basil leaves, washed, patted dry and chopped
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
salt & pepper to taste

1. Place garlic and olive oil in large sauce pan.
2. Turn heat to medium and cook until garlic is soft and lightly browned.
3. Crush the tomatoes and add with their juices.
4. Fill empty tomato can 1/4 of the way with water and pour in with tomatoes
5. Add basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer and cook until thickened approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

* Preparation time: 30 minutes.
* Cooking time: 30 minutes.
* 1.2kg of medium-sized squid.
* 1.5kg Swiss chard or spinach.
* 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil.
* 3 cloves garlic.
* 500g tomatoes.
* Salt.

Clean, wash and cook the chard or spinach. Clean the squid, removing the contents of the sac, or buy them ready prepared. Chop the sac into rings about one centimetre thick. Put in a pan or casserole with the oil and garlic and leave to absorb the flavours. Squeeze the liquid out of the vegetables and chop. Add to the squid and heat through with the peeled and diced tomatoes and pinch of salt. Cook over a medium heat for twenty minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and serve the squid hot on a warmed serving dish. Alternatively, the whole dish could be cooked in an earthenware casserole and brought straight to the tables.