Miss Mapp and Chard with Beets

"And I'm sure she was crocheting a baby cap in white wool, and she must have pulled a lot of it out and begun again.  She was wearing it."-Mapp and Lucia

And so continues the battle between Miss Mapp and Lucia for attention in the town of Tilling in the book series, "Make Way for Lucia."  It was written by E.F. Benson and set in the 1920's-1940's.  It is one of my favorite chronicles of life in a small English village.  And it has also been brought to life in a PBS mini-series called "Mapp and Lucia."

Miss Mapp had let out her skirts and assumed the mannerisms of someone who was expecting a baby, including crocheting a baby cap.  When her charade was over, she took in the waistbands of her skirts and remade the cap into a hat for herself.  Once again a hat moved the story along and was used for symbolism.

There is a lot of discussion about the vegetables in Miss Mapp's garden.  She rents her house to Lucia for a summer and does not include garden produce in the rental.  Instead Miss Mapp sells it to the local greengrocer.  So if Lucia wanted to make Swiss chard with beets, she would have had to buy the ingredients at the store, the vegetables that were actually grown in the garden where she was staying.

And what a tasty, healthy side dish.  Very pretty too if you can find chiogga beets, which are rosy pink and striped inside.


Chard with Beets


serves 2 people


1 big bunch red Swiss chard
1 bunch chiogga beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 baby fennel bulb; remove and discard stems, slice bulb thin and save the tender middle fronds
1 tbs. tarragon vinegar
1 tbs. butter
sea salt to taste


Strip the leaves off the chard, wash and roughly chop.  Save the stems for a chard gratin.  Wash and trim the beets and put in a baking dish. Tightly cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.  Let cool, peel and cut into quarters or sixths if the beets are big.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan.  Add the fennel and cook until tender, add the chard and continue to sauté until the chard is wilted and tender, about 15 minutes.  Add the beets, tarragon vinegar and butter and gently stir until everything is combined and warmed through.  Add sea salt to taste.

Serve this chard and beets dish with any grilled meat, like lamb chops and a side of quinoa pasta.  Or serve over the quinoa pasta for a vegetarian meal.

Then take some time for a good read, all 912 pages of "Make Way for Lucia."

To see the latest collection of Zazu & Violets' hats, please visit our on-line Etsy shop.