Blitva Food

CHARD & POTAOES | BLITVA | CROATIAN RECIPES

Steps:

• Peel and wash the potatoes.
• Set them to boil in a large pot of salted water and allow to boil.
• As the potatoes boil, seperate the chard stem and leaf. Chop the stems and leaves roughly.
• After the potatoes have boiled for 20 minutes, add the chard stems to the water.
• Allow the potatoes and stems to boil for another 10 minutes.
• Add the chard greens and allow to boil until wilted (60 seconds).
• Pour out the potatoes and chard into a colander and allow to drain very well.
• As the potatoes and chard drain, heat the butter and olive oil up up on the stovetop over medium heat. Use either the same pot that you used to boil the vegetables, or a different heavy-bottomed one, like the French oven pictured, which will then double as a serving dish too.
• Add the garlic to the oil and butter mixture, allow to become fragrent (60 seconds).
• Immediately add the potatoes and chard into the oil and butter. Add a big pinch of salt and lots of freshly cracked black pepper. Stir and roughly mash the potatoes. You can mash them into a finer puree if you would like, but I prefer to keep the potatoes more rustic. It suits the dish better.
• Allow to come to room temeprature, check if salt and pepper is to taste, and serve.

BLITVA

Steps:

• Wash the chard and chop it up. Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarters.
• In a medium saucepan, add the potatoes and Swiss Chard and cover with water. Add 1 teaspoons of salt to the water and boil until the potatoes are soft. Around 20 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup of the potato water before you drain the potato/chard mixture.
• Mash up the potato and chard mixture and set aside.
• In a medium skillet add the olive oil and heat it up. Add the onion until it is lightly browned. Then remove it and add the flour and make a thick paste.
• Add the one cup of potato water to the skillet and stir until you get a thick gravy.
• Add the chopped onion that you just sauteed back into the gravy and then add this into the potato chard mixture. Mix it all well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Cover the whole mixture and cook over low heat for 5 minutes then serve.
• Bon Appetit!

CROATIAN "BLITVA" / OR SPINACH (THE OTHER WAY)

Steps:

• Wash and cut spinach/"blitva" leaves and put it aside.
• Warm the butter in a large pot; add spinach/"blitva" and mix until butter covers the leaves. Add half of anticipated cream, and the whole amount of parmesan, chive, nutmeg, salt, pepper. Heat it all for 2-5 minutes.
• Replace the lot into a refractory pot, cover with the rest of the cream. Bake it in the hot oven (200°C) 5 to 10 minute Serve hot.

BLITVA (CROATIAN SWISS CHARD DISH)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add peeled and cubed (1/2-1 in cubes) potatoes.
• Rinse the Swiss chard, remove tough stems, and cut into 1/2 in strips (or just tear into large pieces).
• When potatoes are almost done, add the Swiss chard, and cook all together for an additional 10 minutes (15 minutes if the chard is older).
• Sauté garlic on olive oil, and add the cooked drained chard and potatoes to it (you may keep some water so that it looks like a thick soup).
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Stir and cook for 1 more minute in order to bring all flavors together.