Spinach with Pine Kernels and Sultanas

This is an ancient recipe that pops up all around the Mediterranean; it is equally good made with Swiss chard. You could add a little ham or bacon too if you like.

I remember spending hours as a teenage au pair combing the ground below the umbrella pines for nuts. It was the daily post-siesta challenge with my toddler charges; we rarely managed more than a fistful of pine kernels (pine nuts) and they certainly never made it as far as the kitchen.