Georgio Style Italian Greens Recipes

ITALIAN STYLE GREENS (RICETTA TIPICA PER VERDURE VERDI)

Steps:

• This dish can be eaten either cold as an antipasto or warm as a vegetable contorno. The great thing about it is that you can use any combination of greens, such as baby cabbage leaves, Swiss chard and even salad leaves like cos, gem or Romaine. You can easily buy a big bag of spinach, rocket and watercress and use some yellow celery leaves and other herbs like basil, parsley, sorrel and fennel tops to give you a good mixture. Most Italians have a vegetable garden, and no matter how big or small it is they always have greens and veggies to hand. This recipe sees the more robust leaves blanched first, then wilted down in a pan with the salad leaves, herbs and garlic until soft and tender.
• Blanch the cabbage leaves and chard to perfection in a pot of salted boiling water for a couple of minutes, then drain in a colander and leave to cool down a little. Put a couple of good lugs of olive oil into a large frying pan or casserole type dish and add the sliced garlic. As soon as it starts to take on the smallest amount of colour, throw in your salad leaves then the cabbage and Swiss chard.
• Cook on a medium heat for about 4 to 5 minutes, moving the greens around the pan with a spoon or a pair of tongs, then add your herbs and cook for a further minute. Remove from the heat and season carefully to taste with salt and pepper, some good-quality extra virgin olive oil and enough lemon juice to give it a little kick.

ITALIAN GREENS AND HERB SALAD

Steps:

• Blend the lemon juice, lemon peel, honey, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil.
• Toss the lettuce, endive, olives, parsley, and basil in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Season the salad with more salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

UTICA GREENS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, prepare the oreganato: Mix the oil, bread crumbs and cheese until well blended. It should have the texture of moist beach sand. Set aside.
• When the water is boiling, blanch the greens until they are nearly limp but still a little firm, about 1 to 2 minutes. Plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking. Remove and drain them well in a colander or salad spinner, allowing them to remain moist but not dripping wet. Squeeze just a little of the moisture from them, then chop them into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.
• Heat the broiler. Coat a large pan with the olive oil. Over medium heat, sauté the prosciutto, cherry peppers and garlic until the prosciutto is browned and slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. (Lower heat slightly if garlic begins to brown too quickly.) Add the chopped greens to the pan, season with salt and pepper and stir to mix well.
• Add 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and 1/2 cup of the oreganato. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently to blend, scraping the bottom of the pan to keep the oreganato from burning.
• Sprinkle another 1/4 cup oreganato atop the greens. (Save leftover oreganato for use in another greens dish, or add it to baked chicken or shrimp.) Place the pan under the broiler and broil until the top browns, about 2 minutes. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle a bit more cheese on the dish. Serve immediately.

UTICA GREENS (ESCAROLE)

Steps:

• Clean and rinse escarole twice; chop in large pieces.
• Boil down for 5 or 6 minutes so it's tender and wilted.
• Place olive oil in a saute pan and heat.
• Add chopped garlic and prosciutto and render for 2 or 3 minutes. Do not burn garlic.
• Add seeded peppers and cook another minute or so.
• Add the escarole and all the other ingredients in the pan.
• Gradually add the bread crumbs and grated cheese, tossing gently until blended.
• Taste for final salt and pepper seasoning.
• Place in a casserole; sprinkle a little of the bread crumbs and place under a broiler for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

ITALIAN BRAISED GREENS AND POTATOES

Steps:

• Saute onion in one tablespoon of hot oil over medium heat until onion begins to brown. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
• Combine greens and stock in a heavy-bottomed pot; cook slowly over medium-low heat until greens soften. Stir into the onion mixture.
• Cut potatoes and eggs into quarters and stir into greens mixture. Stir in remaining oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.