EMBER DAYS OF LENT

EMBER DAYS OF LENT

WEDNESDAY 24th FEBRUARY, FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY AND SATURDAY 27th FEBRUARY

The Church calls for Ember Days four times a year. They are tied to the Liturgical seasons, being: The Feast of St Lucy; Ash Wednesday –Lent; Pentecost and the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Roodmas).

Ember days are observed by fasting to the extent that the total sum of food taken for the whole day equals one small meal, taken by one small meal with two smaller meals and no food between meals. Tea, coffee, wine and beer are allowed, (believe it or not).

The Ember days of Wednesday and Saturday are of partial abstinence – that is, a small amount of meat can be taken, but complete abstinence from meat is required on Ember Friday and, indeed, every Friday, both during Lent and generally.

The fasting can have beneficial results physically, but its purpose is spiritual:

To give thanks and praise to God;

• To pray and fast for the conversion of sinners;

• To pray for priests and vocations;

• To petition God to do great things in the coming season;

• To pray for the forgiveness of our own sins and our own conversion.

The recipe I have set out for this Ember period is a delicious soup from Karen Martini, “Salads and Vegetables”: (1)

VEGETABLE BROTH WITH RICOTTA RAVIOLI AND PISTOU

[Serves 4-6]

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

30g butter

1 onion finely diced

4 garlic cloves, finely sliced

3 celery stalks, finely diced

2 small leeks, white and pale green only, sliced

8 Dutch carrots or 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped

3 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

1.5 litres vegetable stock

2 zucchinis, finely diced

½ cup peas

2 handfuls green beans, finely sliced

250g ricotta ravioli

PISTOU

½ garlic clove

2 handfuls basil leaves

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano

80 ml olive oil.

METHOD

PISTOU

Grind the garlic with salt and add the basil using a mortar and pestle until it forms a rough paste. Add the Grana Padano and oil, season and mix to combine.

SOUP

Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Add the celery, leek, carrot and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low-medium heat for about 20 minutes to slowly caramelise the vegetables. Add the stock and simmer about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Cook the ravioli in boiling water. Drain and toss in the pistou. Portion the ravioli on top of the soup and serve. [Can add the pistou to the soup].

(1) Plum, Pan Macmillan Australia, at p. 150, from which the image is taken.