4  tablespoons milk

3  tablespoons butter, plus extra for greasing

4 large onions

1 1/4 cups ground meat, cooked

1 fresh flat -leaf parsley sprig, chopped

1 tablespoon Swiss cheese, freshly grated

1 egg, lightly beaten

8 small Swiss cheese slices

Salt and pepper

Tear the bread into pieces, place in a bowl, add the milk and let soak.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an  ovenproof dish with butter.  Parboil the onions in salted, boiling water for a few minutes, then drain well and let cool slightly.  Carefully cut them in half without breaking them up.  Scoop out the flesh from the centers, leaving the ’shells’ intact.  Chop the scooped-out flesh and mix it with the meat in the bowl.  Squeeze out the bread, add it to the bowl with the parsley, grated Swiss cheese and egg, season with salt and  pepper and mix well.  Fill the onion shells with the mixture, top each with a slice of Swiss cheese and dot with the butter.   Arrange the onions in a single layer in the prepared dish, pour in 2/3 cup water and bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil

2  cloves garlic

1/2 fresh chile, seeded and choped

3 1/2  ounces cooked, cured ham, cut into strips

1/2 cup bread crumbs

Salt

Cook the turnip tops in salted, boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain well, place on a serving dish and keep warm.  Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and cook until lightly browned, then remove and discard.  Add the chile, ham and bread crumbs to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.  Spoon the ham mixture over the turnip greens and seve.

 Serves 4

1/4  cup butter

1/2  cup Parmesn cheese, freshly grated

Salt and pepper

Cook the turnip tops in salted, boiling water for 10 minutes, then drain.  Melt the butter in a pan, add the turnip tops and cook over high heat,  stirring frequently with a fork, for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a warm serving dish and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Serves 4

1 pound 2 ounces Italian dandelion tips

1/2  garlic cloved, chopped

juice of 1 lemon, strained

6  tablespoons olive oil

Salt

Chop the anchovy fillets.  Put the dandelion tips in a salad bowl.  Combine the garlic, anchovies, lemon juice and olive oil in another bowl and season lightly with salt.  Pour the dressing over the salad, let stand for 15 minutes, then serve.

 Serves 4

5  tablespoons butter

4   tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Salt

Cook the dandelion strips in salted, boiling water for 15 minutes, then drain, squeeze out as much liquid as possible, chop coarsely and place on a warm serving dish. Melt the butter in a small pan and, when it turns slightly golden in color, pour it over the dandelions.  Sprinkle with the Parmesn and serve

Serves 4

Olive Oil

4 garlic clives

Pinch of chili powder (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Cook the dandelion strips in salted , boiling water for 15 minutes.  Then drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Heat the oil in a skillet , add the garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown,  then remove and discard.  Add the dandelion strips to the skillet, increase the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes.  Season to taste with chili powder, if you like, or pepper.

Serves 4

1-2 garlic cloves

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Place the artichokes in a fairly tall pan.  Add the garlic and pour in a mixture of two parts olive oil and one part water until the artichokes are two thirds covered.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover and cook over low heat for about 30 minutes.

Serves 4

     About 1/2 cup coarse-grained salt

      About 1/2 cup unbleched all purpose flour

PLUS

2    cups vegetable oil, or 1 pound solid vegetable shortening

1/4  cup olive oil

 FOR THE SAUCE

1/2  cup olive oil

3   whole anchovies in salt, or 6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained

15   sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only

2     medium- sized cloves grlic, peeled

2     tablespoons red wine vinegar

        Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the eggplants and cut them into 1 and 1/2 inch cubes.  Spread the cubes over a large platter and sprinkle the coarse-grianed salt over them.  Let stand for 1/2 hour.  Then rinse the eggplant cubes under cold running water and dry them with paper towels.

Heat the vegetable oil and olive oil together in a deep-fat fryer.  Line a serving dish with paper towels.

Lightly flour the eggplant by shaking some of the pieces together with 1/4 cup of the flour in a colander, so the excess flour will fall through.  Continue flouring the eggplant until all of it is done.

When the oil is warm (about 375 degrees), fry about 15 pieces at a time, turning them until they are golden brown all over.  Transfer the cooked eggplant to the prepared serving dish to drain.

While the eggplant cubes are cooking, prepare the sauce: Put the oil in a small heavy saucepan over low heat.  If using anchovies in salt,  fillet them under cold  running water.

Finely chop the parsley and garlic together on a board. 

When the oil is warm, add the anchovy fillets and mash them with a fork, incorporating the oil.  Add the wine vinegar and salt and pepper and let the vinegr evaporte for 2 minutes.  By that time the eggplant cubes should all be cooked.  Transfer the eggplant to another serving platter, pour the anchovy sauce over it and sprinkle it with the chopped parsley and garlic.  Mix together very well and serve immediately.

Serves 8