Dipping Sauce for Roast Chicken, Salad, and Melons

Dipping Sauce for Fowl 

PEPPER, LOVAGE, PARSLEY, CELERY SEED, RUE, PINE NUTS, DATES, HONEY, VINEGAR, BROTH, MUSTARD AND A LITTLE OIL. (Apicius)
1 date, seeded
3 T broth
½ t pepper
2 t chopped lovage or celery leaves
2 t chopped rue
2 T toasted pine nuts
½ t powdered mustard
2 t honey
1 T garum or fish sauce
½ t celery seed
¼ c chopped parsley
3 T vinegar
1 to 2 T oil to taste

Warm the broth and soak the date in it till softened. Puree in a blender with the stock.  Add the herbs and nuts and spices, puree. Add the vinegar and oil and blend.

Serve with roasted chicken carved into portions that can be eaten without utensils.

Salad with Oenogarum dressing:
Select and assortment of  dark green, flavorful salad greens such as arugola, watercress, and baby spinach.  Wash and dry the greens.  Place in a large bowl.  Toss with Oenogarum dressing immediately before serving.  Top with freshly ground pepper.

Make Oenogarum dressing:
 Make the Oenogarum-- mix 4.5 oz Shiraz or Syrah red wine with 1 oz garum, whisk to blend.
  To make the dressing, whisk together a quarter of a cup of oenogarum with a quarter of a cup of olive oil.

Melons with Mint Dressing-- Apicius 3.7.   For this class, we will triple the recipe:

3 ripe melons, such as a small watermelon, cantaloup, honeydew
2 T dried mint or 3 T fresh mint, finely chopped
6 T honey
21/2 T garum or fish sauce
2 T vinegar
black pepper

Cut the melons into wedges.  Remove the seeds, separate the melon from the skin.  Dice the wedges into chunks.  Combine the other ingredients and whisk until fully amalgamated.  Pour over the melon about 15 minutes before serving; turn the melon pieces to coat in the sauce.  Serve on a platter with toothpicks.