Swiss chard. A vegetable with large, dark leaves and fleshy ribs, mainly of a creamy white but sometimes a vibrant red. Leaves are cooked in the same way as spinach. The ribs are peeled and cut into manageable chunks and boiled or added to soups or stews. They are tender when young, stringy when old. The ribs are known as cardes de blette, côtes de blette. In southern France it is sometimes served in a deep pie with apples, pine nuts, raisins and cheese. It can either be served as a dessert or as a savoury depending on the amount of sugar included. It also means bleak, a kind of fish.
A millstone of hard cheese made with cow's milk which was traditionally made with sheep's milk and has a thin, golden rind. It is made on farms and in dairies in and around the Bethmale valley in the Comté de Foix. This cheese is eaten all year round and is made with raw or pastuerised, whole milk and contains 45-50% fat. The curds are uncooked and pressed. It may be found in the following dimensions: 25-40 cm (10-16") diameter x 8-10 cm (4) deep, weighing 3.5-6 kg (8-13 lb). Affinage is from 2-3 months. It has a strong flavour.
Bleak. A small, elongated fish, abundant in lakes and quiet waterways. Its scales, which are thin and silvery, come away easily. The flesh of the pond bleak is of poor quality, but that of the river variety is fairly good, though full of little bones. It is about 15 cm (6 inches) long and invariably served fried.
