A Sweet way to cook with Swiss Chard – La Tourte aux Blette Sucrée
Viktorija Todorovska is familiar with food and wine from the Mediterranean and has written some books on the subject. After guiding several cultural tours in Italy and France, and converting a few palettes to the subtleties of Armagnac, she is now “test driving” living on the French Riviera, in Nice.
Read more about this talented lady in “Wine and Olive Affair” and about her cookbook “Nice Cuisine and the Art of Living.”
Viktorija’s recipe below is a classic sweet snack made with Swiss chard for the Niçoise as Chiara Orlandi explained in her post on la Tourte aux Blette Sucrée.
La tourte sucrée aux blettes
Swiss chard may not be something you typically think of an an ingredient for baking, but the subtle flavour adds texture to this sweet snack. Dusted with sugar this square is perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
Ingredients
- For the crust:
- 3 1/3 cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 cup Sugar
- pinch of Salt
- 2 Sticks of Butter at room temperature
- 2 large Eggs
- For the filling:
- 1 large bunch (about 8 cups) Swiss Chard stems removed and green parts cut into a chiffonnade
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 large Eggs lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup Hard cow’s milk cheese such as Comté or Gruyère
- 1/2 cup Golden and Red Raisins soaked in ¼ cup rum and drained
- 3/4 cup Pine nuts
- 1/4 cup Marc or other eau de vie
- 1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Pastis
- pinch of Salt
- pinch of Black pepper
- 2 green apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Instructions
- To make the crust:
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt.
- Add the butter and eggs and mix with your hands until the dough comes together.
- Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before rolling out.
- To make the filling:
- Make sure the greens are completely dry.
- If necessary, dry them with paper towels.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, cheese, raisins, pine nuts, marc, olive oil, pastis, salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
- Add the greens and stir again.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Halve the dough and roll out to ¼ thickness.
- Place one half in a 9-inch pie dish and press into the corners with your fingers.
- Distribute the filling evenly and cover with apple slices.
- Cover with the other half and press the edges to close the pie.
- Pierce the top with a fork in several places.
- Bake for an hour, until the top is golden brown.
- Take the pie out of the oven and dust with powdered sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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