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    		•  U RecettAriel
    Purpetùn de prebûggiùn,
    Sformato di prebûggiùn,
    Prebûggiùn Quiche
     wild chicory
    "Prebûggiùn" is a Ligurian dialectal name (it has no Italian translation) for wild greens like wild chicory, rampion, nettles, dandelion, borage, beet leaves, black kale, wild spinach, etc.
    A legend says that during the first Crusade, facing the walls of Jerusalem, food was scarce. Men-at-arms and squires had to roam the field looking not for plunder, but for edible wild weeds. Godfrey Of Bouillon (Goffredo di Buglione in Italian), Duke of Lower Lorraine, one of the leaders of the Crusade, obviously couldn't do such a thing, so his cook used to ask the men-at-arms for a few food "pro Buglionis": that became "probuggion" and, at last, prebûggiùn.
    It seems things are of course different: "bûggiùn" derives from the old "bugliòne", meaning "broth" or "mixture of different things" (very similar to the Provençal "bouillon"). In Liguria people still say "in bugliòne", meaning "higgledy-piggledy".

  • 1 k. (1/2 pound) mixed wild greens
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 3 handfuls of grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese, or both
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • the pith of 2 bread rolls
  • 2 glasses of whole milk
  • 200 g. (7 oz,) boiled potatoes
  • a knob of butter
  • 2 eggs
  • a few twigs of marjoram, dried or fresh
  • 3 spoonfuls of finely ground dried bread crumbs

    wild dandelion Boil the preboggiòn for a few minutes in salted boiling water. Brown the garlic in oil in a casserole, discarding it as soon as it's brown (it should not burn, or it will give a bad flavour).
    Put the greens, roughly chopped, into the casserole and cook for 5 minutes; transfer it into a bowl, let it cool, add the grated cheese, the bread pith already soaked in warm milk (you'll use the milk later), 2 tablespoons of oil, the eggs and the marjoram. Season with salt and mix well.
    Put the mixture into a well greased pyrex dish lined with finely ground dried bread crumbs so that the mixture does not stick. Make a rather liquid purèe with the boiled potatoes, the milk and some butter, and cover the greens mixture with it.
    Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C/400°F until the potato purèe is golden.
    Usually this tart is served with maize-flour little cakes.

  • Suggested wine: Pigàto d'Albenga DOC (white, served at 10-12°C/ 50-54 F°)