When I first moved to Nice, France, I lived upstairs in the now-defunct Espuno Bakery, which had been run by the same family for generations. This bakery had none of the elaborate pastries I was used to in Paris; Instead, alongside croissants and brioches, square pieces of cake with a dark green filling were presented, the top crust of which was sprinkled with a thick layer of sugar.
This was my first introduction to Tourte de Blettes Sucrée, the legendary Niçoise dessert sold in most local bakeries and for many children, including my son, a main source of vegetables in their diet. Filled with a sweetened mixture of chard, rum-soaked raisins, pine nuts, apples, and perhaps grated Parmesan or Sbrinz (an aged Swiss cheese), this dessert is found nowhere else in France, although Tuscan chefs bake a similar cake with Vin Santo instead of rum.
It was created from an abundance of Swiss chard; In winter, when there was a shortage of local fruits, cooks used what they had available to satisfy their cravings for sweets. The sugar coating – originally granulated but now almost always powdered – distinguishes it from the savory Tourte de Blettes Salée, which is filled with a mixture of chard, rice, bacon, Parmesan and egg.
There are as many variations of this dessert as there are families in Nice, but I like this one, adapted from a recipe by Hélène Barale, who once ran a famous Niçoise restaurant named after her. Her use of apricot jam adds another fruity note alongside the apple without over-sweetening the cake.
If you're serving this to kids, don't worry about the rum – the alcohol will evaporate in the oven. However, the quality of the rum has an impact on the final taste of the cake. Therefore, use a rum that you would enjoy drinking. And if possible, soak the raisins overnight.
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