Ri Friariegli (‘e friariellë)

Ri Friariegli (‘e friariellë)

Greens are widely prized in the regional cuisines of Italy, though they seem to be prized in some regions even more than elsewhere. The Pugliesi are certainly recognised as great consumers of greens, as are the Campanians and, indeed, the people of Campania formerly bore the jocular nickname of mangiafoglie in recognition of their prodigious consumption of leafy vegetables. I share this love with my paesani and am constantly on the look out for nice, tender greens which have an interesting flavour profile. At the Green City Market this past summer, I came across one I hadn’t seen here before, namely ’e spigariellë (link), which were quite nice but not exactly cheap. A favourite of mine which I find available with some regularity at Caputo’s on Harlem Avenue are cime di cicoria (link), which I mentioned in connexion with a discussion of general methods of preparing greens in the basic Southern Italian manner.

As with most other vegetables, most greens are especially good when they can be picked fairly young and eaten more or less immediately. Given that, Amata and I decided to plant some broccoli di rape in our newly constituted hortus in urbe, planting one batch in mid to late August and another in mid to late September, as I mentioned previously in the thread on fall gardening (link). These little greens throve mightily and provided us with several nice meals over the past month or so (as contorno but also made as a condiment to pasta).

Moved by fear of loss due to excessively cold weather last week, I harvested most of what we still had growing, including a number of very small and especially tender plants. They were absolutely delicious and I only regret not having planted about five times as much as I did.

While the medicinal properties of chicken soup are well known, it is a fact that (at least for persons of a certain sort of genetic make-up), ri friariegli, with a little extra dose of garlic and peperoncino, can also work wonders. Suffering from a cold this past week, I poured a libation in honour of our beloved Marica Dea Ausoniorum and cooked up some friariegli: my health was instantly restored fully.

Tum facta omnia, sum circumlatus.
Gaius Lucilius

Ri friariegli de nuost’ uortö crudi


Ri friariegli nuosti dint’ â tièlla


Ecco: ri nuosti begli friariegli


Bona salute a tutti de bon’ anima.
Antonius

Antonius wrote: the people of Campania formerly bore the jocular nickname of mangiafoglie in recognition of their prodigious consumption of leafy vegetables.

I thought it was mangiafagioli for the bean eaters (oh, wait that'll be the Tuscans?).

As far a 'greens' go, in India too there are many that are eaten (and some not even green). These are typically called (name)-saag (saag or equivalent = spinach). Simple preparations involve a quick saute with some spices ± garlic. These are quite tasty and great in a meal as a preliminary course.
I mention this because I find it a bit sad that in English many of these are simply labelled 'greens,' an epithet that relegates them to underutilization. So thanks for the post!

sazerac wrote:

Antonius wrote: the people of Campania formerly bore the jocular nickname of mangiafoglie in recognition of their prodigious consumption of leafy vegetables.

I thought it was mangiafagioli for the bean eaters (oh, wait that'll be the Tuscans?).

Yes, indeed, the mangiafagioli are the Tuscans... Ah, beans... another thing dear to my heart... And of course, beans and greens!

As far a 'greens' go, in India too there are many that are eaten (and some not even green). These are typically called (name)-saag (saag or equivalent = spinach). Simple preparations involve a quick saute with some spices ± garlic. These are quite tasty and great in a meal as a preliminary course.
I mention this because I find it a bit sad that in English many of these are simply labelled 'greens,' an epithet that relegates them to underutilization. So thanks for the post!

What spices tend to be used? And are there more or less set combinations of the sort -- this spice goes with the more bitter greens but this one with the more sour? ... You see what I mean (I hope).

Sautéd greens can make a fine meal. In the Italian style of doing things, I love to eat them as the filling of a sandwich, with the cooking liquid serving as the only 'condiment' for the bread. Greens with pasta, greens with beans, greens with beans and pasta, greens with sausage, greens with other pork products, greens with potatoes, greens with potatoes and sausage... All good stuff.

Finally, yes, greens are under utilised in this country, or at least in the Yankee part of it. African-Americans do seem to consume a fair amount, judging from who I find myself beside in the grocery stores by the greens section of the produce department. But I find that there is a tendency -- no, a habit -- of selling only big old greens. In Italy the tendency is to want to eat them while they're young, for the most part. Aside from spinach, I never see 'baby' greens in the basic supermarkets and typically only see a few 'baby' greens in the better (and more expensive) stalls at farmers' markets.

Antonius

Suffering from a cold this past week, I poured a libation in honour of our beloved Marica Dea Ausoniorum and cooked up some friariegli: my health was instantly restored fully.

Antonius,

It's no coincidence or mere conjecture, the restorative and life-giving properties of properly cooked greens (though a little drinkie-poo . . . a la Peter Sellers . . . certainly helps give at least the appearance of better health, true enough). My chum and biz-a-nees partner Vini, himself a generation removed from proud Sicilian stock, makes his broccoli di rape with love and quite frequently, and, upon slurping down the last bits with the attendant broth, always emits a lusty roar and the proclamation, "F***in' IV fluid, that stuff!" Chicken stock, partially diluted, with al dente pastina and barely tender broccoli di rape certainly belongs in the canon of great cool/cold weather meals. Throw in some white beans, some whole, some in a partial puree, and you've got yourself one of the great one-pot meals of the western world. Greens, greens, the musical leaf, the more you eat, the more you.... No, I couldn't possibly, not in mixed company. What I WILL say, though, is that all this greens talk has got me psyched for my upcoming mission to Brooklyn - an indefinite period of time with a slightly distressing job to do (the final clean-out and sale of my grandmother's possessions at her co-op apartment in Sheepshead Bay... anyone on the market interested??) but one which will land me in NYC for about 10-12 days (from Nov. 30th - onward) and put me within an easy 40 minute subway ride to Tony Luke's outpost in Manhattan and their roast pork/broccoli rabe sangweech. Surely one of the noblest elevations of this humble weed. Regarding this (ad)venture, by the way, I'll be compiling a journal (hopefully, somehow, with corresponding photos) of my stay in NYC and looking to report on the variety, quality, and uniqueness of Avenue U in Brooklyn, an approximately mile-long commercial strip in South Brooklyn (and a mere 5 minute walk from my grandmother's apartment) and the amazing and wondrous delights held within, from pizza to baked goods to Chinese BBQ to Russian delis to Kebab stands to Jewish deli to... it's truly amazing, a sensory overload of the best that NYC has to offer, at prices made for the working man and woman. Keep your eyes peeled in "Beyond Chicagoland" and don't mind me if I wax purply-prosaically about the place when the time comes. If anyone is interested in buying cool old furniture, clothes, books, Judaica, etc... by all means come on out to Brooklyn while I'm there and let's talk. I'll buy you a hot dog and knish. Or some broccoli rabe with capellini, aglio e olio. Or blini. Or a Sicilian pizza. Or some Char siu bao. Or a falafel. Or... exactly. While the heart and mind sigh deeply for the task at hand, the stomach does a happy little jig and waits in anticipation....

Rebbe

hungryrabbi wrote: My chum and biz-a-nees partner Vini, himself a generation removed from proud Sicilian stock, makes his broccoli di rape with love and quite frequently, and, upon slurping down the last bits with the attendant broth, always emits a lusty roar and the proclamation, "F***in' IV fluid, that stuff!" Chicken stock, partially diluted, with al dente pastina and barely tender broccoli di rape certainly belongs in the canon of great cool/cold weather meals. Throw in some white beans, some whole, some in a partial puree, and you've got yourself one of the great one-pot meals of the western world.

Gueh, Rebbuccio!

You're abso-friariellin -lutely right! Ah, pastina... Accompanying our friariegli the other night, Amata and I just had a small bowl of pastina in a little broth (so it wasn't very soupy) with a dollop of ricotta.

Saluti amichevoli a te a pure a Don Vincenzo!

A

Antonius wrote:What spices tend to be used? And are there more or less set combinations of the sort -- this spice goes with the more bitter greens but this one with the more sour? ... You see what I mean (I hope).

Too many variations - household/religious community/regional and as you suggest, depending on the 'green'. That too I can only vouch for the cuisines of the regions I have some familiarity of. Though with most greens the idea is to enjoy the taste, even bitterness of the greens. The spicing can thus be simply a bit of garlic, may be chopped onions, red chile powder and some (generally speaking, for simple treatments) whole spices. The whole spices are fried in the oil a bit to flavour the oil and then the greens wilted in the hot oil. The whole spices also add a crunch/texture element (sometimes lentils are also used for this). Alternately, the hot spice flavoured oil is poured on the greens.

Antonius wrote: In Italy the tendency is to want to eat them while their young, for the most part. Aside from spinach, I never see 'baby' greens in the basic supermarkets and typically only see a few 'baby' greens in the better (and more expensive) stalls at farmers' markets.

You're right, as there is quite a difference in taste between the baby greens and older plants. I've never really tried 'micro-greens', not sure if those are really more for the novelty factor. Also the stalks of some of these greens separately can be great treated differently. With Chinese broccoli, for example, the leaves are treated as a 'spinach' , and the stalks treated as different vegetable. Either ways, tasty 'greens.'

sazerac:

Thanks for the reply.

The bitterness of bitter greens is what I love about them and I always marvel at the t.v. chefs who take steps to reduce the bitterness of broccoli di rape or endive... I suppose one might say "well, I like a little bitterness, not a lot" but I don't find broccoli di rape or endive all that bitter and that element is the core of the flavour of those vegetables.

I feel guilty about it but when I get Chinese greens (and often it's not completely clear what specific greens I'm getting, thanks to absent or mysterious signage), rather than doing something properly chinese with them, I sometimes just make them in a familiar Italian or Greek style.

By the way, the Greeks are also very fond of their greens and on Crete they're especially into them. Lots of good recipes from there...

Antonius