The end of February marks the start of Spring in Liguria. After a few days of sunshine, wild herbs and flowers carpet the countryside. The terraces of our olive groves provide us with a wealth of wild herbs and greens - borage, thyme, spinach, nettles, garlic, bay, and wild asparagus grow in abundance amongst the olive trees and are there free for the gathering.
The Ligurian diet is traditionally not rich in meat. Instead, herbs and vegetables often mixed with rice feature in dishes such as stuffed vegetables or the traditional Torta Verde - green pie. We have created this simple recipe for spring greens. It's so delicious with a lashing of Nudo's extra virgin olive oil or any of Nudo's flavoured olive oils. Adding something like rocket or chicory into the mix can spice it up, but spinach, cavolo nero, or sprouting broccoli are terrific with lamb.
Prep Time 5 Minutes
Serves 2
Cook Time 5 Minutes
Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
- We used a mixture of chard, cavolo nero, nettles & asparagus but any other greens will work. Just remember variety is key as is freshness.
- Nudo's lemon-flavoured olive oil
Method
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Wash all the greens thoroughly in cold running water.
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Steam the greens over a large pan of boiling water until the stems are just tender. Exercise caution to avoid overcooking; achieving perfection can be delicate, especially when cooking a variety of leaves simultaneously.
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Drain the greens well.
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Serve with generous amounts of Nudo's lemon-flavored olive oil for those who prefer an extra tangy flavour. Alternatively, provide a small jug of freshly squeezed lemon.
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Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.