On this year’s Olio Verde Novello 2011 necker, the producer suggests the following recipe:

Omelette with chard, of the kind that grows wild in the olive grove, orchard and veggie garden at Tenuta Pignatelli.

The variety of chard needed is a tender, small-stalked leafy green which can be reddish at times (Swiss chard is close), known in Italian as “bietola da foglia” or “erbetta”; or substitute with young spinach. Locally another wild, sometimes cultivated green of old days is making a come-back: bitter chicory (cicoria), the third, skinny leaf depicted in the middle of the picture below. Do not add chicory to the sweeter chard in this frittata recipe, nor to sauté together in the pan as a side-dish. Only combine both when preparing a delicious detox soup which we will post the recipe for shortly.

Separate and rinse about 3 to 4 handfuls of stems (if using organic vegetables, soak in water and 1 tsp baking soda to allow for any “visitors” to come floating up to the surface, scooping them away). Place the dry-spun greens into a hot skillet, in which you will have poured at most 1 tbsp Olio Verde, 2 or 3 peeled and halved garlic cloves, and a piece of medium-hot, preferably fresh chilli pepper, only minutes earlier (don’t allow the garlic to brown though, and watch out for splatter). Sprinkle with sea salt. Cover and let greens wilt over medium heat. Sauté to make sure all leaves are cooked. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add them to a bowl with 6 to 8 fresh, beaten eggs and ½ tbsp Olio Verde (no worries if a bit of sautéing juice falls in too). Mix and pour back into a hot skillet over low heat. Cover and flip halfway through cooking. Or, to avoid the flipping hassle, pour batter into a cast-iron pan or cake mould and place in oven at medium-heat on the lowest rack. Serve warm or at room-temperature. Also makes for a great sandwich filling when cold…  - GaB