Stewed chard – Acelgas con pasas y piuiones

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 100 g raisins
• 1 large tomato(s)
• 1 large onion(s)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• possibly water if needed
• 1 kg chard
• 50 g pine nuts
• 4 slices of toast
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 40 minutes

Cover the raisins with water and soak for a few hours. Peel and deseed the tomato. Finely chop it, along with the peeled onion and garlic cloves. In a pan, sauté the onions and garlic in hot olive oil for a few minutes, then add the diced tomatoes. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until a thick paste forms. If the vegetables start to stick, reduce the heat and thin with a splash of water. Meanwhile, trim the chard, separating the stems from the leaves and washing everything thoroughly. Then cut the stems diagonally into thin strips. Halve the leaves lengthwise. Bring a large amount of water to a boil in a pot, add salt, and blanch the stems for 4 to 5 minutes. Then let the leaves wilt for just one minute. Cool both in ice-cold water. Drain, then add to the pan with the onion and tomato. Add the drained raisins and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, fry the bread slices in hot, garlic-flavored oil until golden brown. Line a shallow dish with the bread slices. Arrange the chard on top and serve. Tip: You can also use spinach according to the chard recipe. However, you should use strong, dark-green outdoor spinach or the robust winter spinach from Italy, which is more robust and aromatic than the delicate greenhouse spinach from other countries. Trim off the stems and use only the leaves, which you blanch for a minute.