Swiss chard is so good – and happily it is in season right now! So go down to your local farmer’s market and pick up a couple of bunches. Please? I like the rainbow variety the best, but that’s just because I think rainbows are pretty. You can use red swiss chard or white swiss chard or any other color of swiss chard – they’re all pretty much interchangeable. I like this swiss chard recipe as a filling for homemade quesadillas. Oooh, or as a side dish for a chile-rubbed skirt steak. And save the stems – you can make them into a delicious gratin by par-boiling, then covering with Parmesan cheese and a bit of butter (maybe some freshly ground nutmeg?) and baking in the oven until bubbly. Very economical.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion (about 1/4 cup), sliced into half moons
1 Serrano chili, sliced (de-seeded if you don’t like spicy. I like spicy.)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 lb. swiss chard (about 1 medium bunch), washed (leave a bit of water clinging to the leaves)
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure:

1. Chiffonade the swiss chard and set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook and stir until they have softened and have become golden (but not brown). Add the chilies and stir for a minute or two.
3. Add the garlic and cook and stir for one minute. Don’t let the garlic brown. Add the cumin and stir.
4. Add the swiss chard, a pinch of salt, and a good grinding of black pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the swiss chard is tender.
5. Squirt a bit of lime juice on the swiss chard, and taste and correct for salt.