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[QUOTE=alex and lyn]Got a recipe I want to try using Swiss Chard...anyone know a good italian equivelent please ?[/QUOTE]

I knew a Chard from Wales once, his favourite way of getting cooked utilised Guiness, wine and Brandy, warmed gently with a fine Cigar... :p

You are no use at all this morning except to make me laugh !!! :D

What about me flies then...this is serious business...and me bulbs sprouting and me house insurance...as it is raining you can amuse yourself answering all my queries !!!!!...and sort this weather out please ;)

Swiss chard is bietola in most parts of Italy (some areas have a different name for it) You can find it already cooked next to the cooked spinich an the refrigerated veggies section of markets. For fresh, I am not sure if it ios still the season although I still have some in my orto.

..crisitina....you always come up trumps.

This is another very good recipe using swiss chard:

Octopus with
Swiss Chard and Braised Onions

[B]Polpo con Bietola e Cipollotte all' Agrodolce[/B]
Serves 6

For the Octopus
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 pounds octopus, cleaned and
cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup white wine
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Chard
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds Swiss chard,
carefully washed, thick stems removed

The Rest
1 recipe braised onions

The octopus:
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole over a medium flame. Add the garlic and shallots, stirring frequently until the shallots soften and the garlic is fragrant. Add the octopus and white wine to the pot and stir for a minute or two while the alcohol evaporates. Then add 2 cups of water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour without lifting the lid.

In the meantime, whisk together 1/4 cup of olive oil with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Wash the chard thoroughly, but do not dry it; it will cook in the water that clings to its leaves. Remove and discard any tough, thick stems but leave the smaller, thin ones. Place the chard leaves in a large pot over a medium flame, sprinkle them with salt, and cook them, stirring frequently, until the leaves and thin stems are soft and wilted (5 to 7 minutes). Drain and dress with the olive oil and lemon dressing.

Prepare the braised onions.

Transfer the cooked octopus to the center of a large serving platter and surround it with the chard. Scatter the onions evenly over the chard and serve immediately.

Braised Onions

[B]Cipollotte in Agrodolce[/B]
Serves 6

Small onions cooked this way taste both tart and slightly sweet. This is a perfect accompaniment for roasted meats or fish.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 small boiling onions,
1 to 2 inches in diameter, outer skins removed
3/4 cup dry white wine
Salt

Over a medium flame, heat the olive oil in a short-sided, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the onions and sauté them, rolling them around in the pan until they brown thoroughly (about 15 minutes). Pour the wine into the pan and mix well with the onions and oil. After the wine reduces, add a cup of water to the pan, reduce the heat to the lowest flame, and cover. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water, if necessary, 1/2 cup at a time as the liquid evaporates in the pan.

...it is now 18.35 and we are in the middle of yet another storm ........been like nearly 24 hours now !!!!!! :o
Thanks for your help last night (your last night !!!)

Thank you, and you're welcome. PM me and let me know how it goes. I hope you get a little reprieve from the rain. Keep thinking how wonderful it is for your gardens and not about making trips to the market :)

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