Wash the spinach several times to remove sand and dirt, then heat it in a pot with just the water left on the leaves after it drains until it wilts; squeeze it dry (you may want to run it under cold water first), coarsely chop it, and sauté it with the garlic, half the butter, and the pinch of nutmeg.

Let the spinach cool, then gently beat the eggs in a bowl. Slowly stir in the milk, flour, and cheese, then add the spinach and season everything with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining butter in a skillet, and when it begins to brown add the egg mixture, shaking the skillet briskly to settle things. Cook the frittata until the bottom is done and the top begins to firm up, then flip it (see procedure) and cook it a few minutes more before serving it.

It can be served wither hot or cold, and will feed 4, with a tossed salad and a white wine such as Soave or bianco anconetano.

Variations: You can, in the place of spinach, use almost any vegetable that doesn't give off large amounts of water as it cooks. For example, 4 artichoke hearts, slivered and sautéed with a clove of garlic (remove the garlic after sautéeing) and a tablespoon of minced parsley are an excellent substitution, as are a pound of broccoli florets (steamed for a few minutes, then sautéed with garlic and parsley) or a pound of asparagus tips, steamed.

A wine? White, and I might go with a Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

Yield: 4-6 servings spinach frittata.