Chard and Pine Nuts

Bietole con Pinoli

This recipe combines some of my favorite things. I love pine nuts, pinoli. And I love chard bietole.

Did you know that great groves of stone pine (P. pinea), trees between Pisa and Viareggio, all along the coast produce such a quantity of pinoli that they are exported throughout Europe?



And since we are already talking about the area between Pisa and Viareggio, a very lovely area of Tuscany, let's throw in some history for ten points (or not). Anyhow, between these two cities is a town called Torre del Lago. Its most famous son is none other than Giacomo Puccini who wrote 12 operas including Madam Butterfly, La Bohème, and Tosca.

Hey! We weren't supposed to be speaking of great Italian composers, but of chard and pine nuts! When I went shopping, I was looking for Swiss Chard, but couldn't find any. On sale instead was some vibrant organic Rainbow Chard. I couldn't resist! It is so beautiful, I am in love with this vegetable!



So let's get started in cooking up this flavorful contorno, or side dish featuring rainbow chard and pine nuts!

Starring:


Organic Rainbow Chard
Pine Nuts
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt

First wash the leaves carefully as they are textured and could harbor grit and sand easily. Next, find a Wild Thing if you have one handy who is old enough to wield a knife... here is my own 13 year old, who was pretty impressed by the colors of this showy chard. He just had to get his hands on it.


Separate the leaves from the stems,



and cut the stems in long thin strips.



Pretty!

I love all these colors.
Can you believe this color is natural, and means it is very good for you? I always look for organic veggies for my family, and buy them when I can. For you Italian readers organic means biologico.

After all the stems are cut in strips, add them to a large pan to which you have already added about two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and let heat. Add the chard stems and cook for about fifteen minutes on medium heat.



Then add one cup of water, or some water and a bit of white cooking wine if you like. Turn heat down to medium low. Let the water steam the stems so they begin to soften. Continue cooking while you or one of your children or one of your friends continues to cut the leaves into strips.



After about fifteen minutes of cooking add the leaves of the chard.



At any time add water or wine if the chard looks like it may become dry. We don't want our chard to stick to the pan.

Cook for about five more minutes after adding the leaves, and it should be done!



Taste and see if the chard is tender. If not, continue cooking and tasting until it is how you like it. Before removing to a serving platter, add salt to taste.

Move to a serving platter and add a drizzle (about one tablespoon) of olive oil on top of the chard. Next sprinkle with the pine nuts. It is done, ready to serve along side an entre of your choice. Buon Appetito!



 Our youngest wild thing ate lots of chard leaves too, although not enough to constitute his dinner, making happy ummmm sounds between bites! Yay, he is a happy veggie eater, at least for now. And since my eldest wild thing helped prepare this dish, he ate a couple of bites too. Meanwhile the middle son wanted to graze on the rest of the pine nuts. He is obsessed with pine nuts- and they are expensive!