Swiss Chard

For the first installment in my on-going series called “What the Hell is this?” I’m starting out with something simple. You will find it nestled among the various heads of lettuce and other, darker leafy greens in almost any grocery store: Swiss Chard. The one thing I always remember about Swiss Chard is that my dad doesn’t like it. You may think that this is a strike against Swiss Chard, but keep in mind that my dad loves bologna and margarine sandwiches. Swiss Chard is one of those enormously healthy leafy greens. When I was a kid we always had it in the summer straight out of the garden, sautéed with butter. Now, because you can find it in grocery stores year round, I think of it as more of a winter green to be eaten on cold days when salad just doesn’t sound good. I roughly chop the greens (sometimes omitting the stems, which tend to be tough)and rinse them, leaving some water on the greens when I put it in a pan over medium heat. This way, when you put a lid on the pan the Chard will steam itself. When it’s soft and wilted I sometimes add a little olive oil or salt. I especially like it as a side to pasta dishes with a red sauce. In the summer, look for rainbow chard – before I cook this chard I stick in a flower vase and use as décor on my counter for a day or two.