Colourful vegetables! Bietola. This is a variety of Chard. The green Bietola is very common in Italy but this colourful one I think originated from California. I’ve never tried cooking it before but thought I’d give it a try. I cut and discarded the thicker ends of the stems and then rinsed the leaves. These I placed in a large frying pan (still damp) with a chopped Clove of garlic and a tablespoon of oil. I put the lid on and kept over lowish heat for ten minutes checking that the pan didn’t dry out and shaking every few mins. To check the stems were cooked i prodded with a fork. When tender I sprinkled with a little lemon juice and black pepper. Tossed it well and served. It was good! This is the same way I cook spinach but the chard took twice as long. #bietola #chard #vegetablecookery #colouredveg #cookingvegetables #fiveaday #sidedishes #italianvegetables #italiancuisine #italianfood (at Castel Rigone, Umbria, Italy)