If there was to be only one dessert from Nice, it would be the Swiss chard pie, known as “tourta de blèa” in the Niçard dialect.* This sweet and savory pastry is available all year round and is one of the 13 Christmas desserts. There were up to 4 annual harvests of Swiss chard in the Var valley. This vegetable, known since the Middle Ages, was long a foraged vegetable before being cultivated.
The first written record of this recipe dates back to the 15th century, and it is referenced in the writings of the first person to codify our cuisine, Henri Heyraud, as early as 1909.
– The dough
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt, then add diced butter, eggs, and olive oil to the center. Mix with your fingertips for a few minutes to obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough (add a few drops of water if needed) that you will place in the fridge wrapped in a cloth. Let it rest while you prepare the filling.
– The filling
For this tart, only the green part of the Swiss chard will be used. Roll the leaves into cylinders 3 centimeters in diameter and slice them into thin strips the width of a finger. Submerge the Swiss chard in a basin of constantly refreshed cold water, washing it three times. This helps remove the bitterness of the chard. Drain the strips and dry them between two cloths.
In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the eggs, beaten into an omelet, the brown sugar, the marc, the two types of rum-soaked raisins (drained), olive oil, cheese, and pine nuts. Mix by hand – you can assign this task to children to give them a taste for cooking – add the chard and a peeled and diced apple.
Roll out two-thirds of the dough to a thickness of 3 to 4 mm using a rolling pin on a generously floured surface into a circle, which you will place in your pie dish leaving it to overhang. Spread the filling in a layer about two centimeters thick. Add the juice formed at the bottom of the bowl, then layer slices of apples side by side.
Roll out the remaining third to the diameter of the pie dish and, after moistening the edges, place it over the filling, crimping the two edges together to seal them well. Use a fork to create small chimneys on the surface or make bird beaks with small scissors.
Bake the tart at 180°C for about 40 minutes: the surface should turn golden… (When the edges pull away from the pie dish, the pie is done). Remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle it with granulated sugar. Once cooled, sprinkle the pie with powdered sugar for decoration before serving at room temperature.
Variation: you can add 50 grams of almond powder to the filling.
The Swiss Chard
Swiss chard, also known as chard or chard ribs, and called poirée, jotte, or joute in Switzerland, is a biennial herbaceous plant of the Chenopodiaceae family, cultivated as a vegetable for its leaves or ribs (or chards), consumed as a vegetable.
Chards, which have edible leaves, ribs, or both, are the base for many dishes. They can be blanched or steamed before being incorporated into recipes: gratin, savory tart, soup, sautéed ribs…
Its History
Swiss chard was already known to the Greeks and Romans. In the Middle Ages, it was the main ingredient in the most popular soup, “La Porée.” This herbaceous and garden plant, very fashionable in the 19th century, is no longer in vogue today. Known as the “poor man’s vegetable,” it might even evoke unpleasant childhood memories for some!
Its Benefits
Very low in calories (25 kcal per 100g), Swiss chards are rich in minerals and vitamins. 200g of raw chard (equivalent to one plate once cooked) represent 100% of the recommended daily intake of beta-carotene (or antioxidant pro-vitamin A), 50% of iron, 33% of magnesium, and 15% of vitamins B2, B6, and B9. Chards also contribute to the intake of potassium, calcium, and vitamin C. With not too much fiber (0.8%), they are well tolerated in cases of colitis. We should consume more of them, except if one is prone to kidney stones.
Alex Benvenuto, association Cuisine Niçoise, intangible heritage of humanity
