Visiting my mom and brother in Paso Robles, California, I ended up making a lot of lunch and dinners. My mother has been feeling “under the weather,” and given how important food and a great meal is essential to our family, my wish was to add some sun to any clouds in her day. I had noticed Swiss chard in the family garden. I got the idea to make a vegetable pie, something between a “provencal tarte aux blettes” or an Italian “pasticcio di bietole.” Initially, I considered using puff pastry but then ventured into using a stretched whole wheat strudel dough. Crossing the Austrian inflected shell with the sweet and savory Franco-Italo filling made for a great Californian fusion treat that we all enjoyed.