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1
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add the Swiss chard leaves and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and transfer to a clean tea towel. Wring as tightly as possible, then spread the chard on a baking tray and dry further in a 100 °C oven for 5 minutes. The chard must be bone-dry: press a piece between your fingers and feel no moisture release.
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2
Finely chop the dried chard. In a bowl, combine it with the flour, beaten eggs, olive oil, grated Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Work together to a soft, slightly sticky dough. This is where the dish lives or dies: if the chard was insufficiently dried the dough will be slack and unworkable; no quantity of additional flour will rescue it without producing heavy, leaden gnocchi. The correct dough holds its shape when pressed but yields gently to the touch.
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3
Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll each between the palms into an irregular cylinder approximately 5 cm long and 1.5 cm thick, with tapered ends. Uniformity is neither expected nor desired. Lay on a lightly floured tray. The surface should feel slightly tacky but not wet.
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4
Return the pot to the boil and maintain a gentle, not violent, simmer. Poach the gnocchi in batches for 3–4 minutes. They are done when they rise and float at the surface; remove promptly with a slotted spoon and drain.
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5
Warm olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat with the crushed garlic (or sage leaves for the alternative finish). Add the drained gnocchi in a single layer and sauté until golden at the edges and coloured on the underside. The smell shifts from vegetal to faintly nutty when they are ready. Serve immediately with Parmesan and, if desired, a Provençal tomato sauce alongside.