“Blitva” here and “blitva” there – you will see it simply everywhere in stores, restaurant menus and home cooking in Southern Croatia. What’s that and why is this green plant so extremely popular at the Adriatic?
When facing a choice of a side dish, many would go for French fries or any kind of potatoes, some prefer rice, pasta or vegetables, and of course the choice depends a lot on the main dish.
Well, if you ask a Dalmatian, “blitva”(Swiss chard, Eng.) would be in top 3 to accompany grilled meat or fish or, let’s face it, go on its own or with a hard-boiled egg. This is just something we cannot imagine our lives without. And it’s rooted in the local history as much, probably, as is pasta for Italians and rice for Chinese.
Swiss chard is served both in restaurants and in home cuisine. It is best when young, with soft and tender leaves of bright green colour.
It is so dearly loved by southern Croats that they have even got a nickname after it – blitvari. It is available in grocery stores and at local vegetable markets almost all year round due to the mild coastal climate and suitable soil.
We won’t lie – you might not like it from the first bite :). But give it another chance. It is really healthy, light and delicately complementary when consumed with a steak or fish.
Sooo, ready to try to cook it on your own? It’s easy and quick, you may try this perfect recipe of ours:
Ingredients:
Blitva / Swiss chard – 1 kg
Potatoes – 2-3 medium sized pcs.
Garlic – 1 clove
A bit of salt, pepper to taste
Olive oil
Cooking:
- Peel and cook the potatoes in slightly salty water until they are done. Spill the water. Cut the potatoes into smaller pieces.
- While the potatoes are cooking, wash Swiss chard 2-3 times and cut off dirty, thick and hard white stalk ends.
- Put Swiss chard into plenty of slightly salty, boiling water, let it cook for about 10 – 15 minutes. It is done when you can easily cut with a fork through the remaining stalks. Spill the water and drain Swiss chard well. Chop Swiss chard with a knife.
- Place chopped garlic on an oil-sprinkled frying pan on low-medium heat, add the potatoes and Swiss chard shortly, sprinkle all with more olive oil, stir well for a couple of minutes.
- Serve!
Sometimes potatoes and Swiss chard are cooked together and then just drained, salted and seasoned with lots of olive oil. You can try various methods and see which one you like better.
In any case, when on vacation in southern Croatia, don’t miss out on this wonderful local dish that adds so much more local colour to your stay! And do let us know whether you like the recipe :).