Celebrating the harvest: Rainbow Swiss chard recipe

Swiss chard adds a burst of color in the vegetable garden...and on your plate

The vegetable garden has entered its productive season. We're still in the early days, which means the harvests are somewhat limited, but I'm now enjoying regular snacks of French Breakfast radishes, snow peas, and tatsoi. Even if you aren't growing these crops, there's a good chance you'll find them at your local farmers' market. I thought it might be helpful (and fun) to post recipes throughout the growing season. First up is Swiss chard, which is a member of the beet family, something that's obvious when you see it's cork-like seeds. It's a delicious green that grows well in early spring and throughout much of the summer here.

Before I launch into the recipe, it seems appropriate here to confess something: I have an intense, abiding love of the New York Times Cooking app. I wouldn't be surprised if my friends and family keep a stopwatch to see how long we're in conversation before I bring up a great new recipe I've discovered on the app. During dinner last night, as the spouse and I were enjoying beef stew we made from a five-star recipe (with over 25,000 reviews), we both agreed that the app is well worth the $40 annual subscription fee. What you'll find in it is a treasure trove of delicious recipes (and, sure, some that don't seem as great) and loads of inspiration. Some of that inspiration comes in the form of what they refer to as "no-recipe recipes," which may have a loose ingredients list but certainly won't include quantities. They truly are meant to encourage cooks to play around with the ideas presented and make a recipe that suits their tastes.

So, in that same spirit, I present to you a Swiss chard no-recipe recipe. Let me know if you try it and how you've made it your own!

Simple sauteed Swiss chard

Ingredients

• large bunch of rainbow Swiss chard

• onion

• garlic

• olive oil

• red pepper flakes

Suggested cooking instructions

1. Strip the chard from the stalks. Finely chop the stalks and set aside. Roll up the chard leaves and slice thinly.

2. Thinly slice the onion.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add some olive oil when the skillet comes up to temperature.

4. Add the onion and sauté for a couple minutes. Add the chopped chard stalks. Cook until soft.

5. Add the Swiss chard and allow to wilt, stirring regularly.

6. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

7. Sprinkle lightly with red pepper flakes.

8. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

1. Swiss chard cooks down a lot like spinach, which means it can virtually disappear as it wilts. Don't be afraid to use a lot.

2. I like cutting my onions thinly in half moons.

3. I have a great garlic press, so I'm devoted to using it, but you can chop or mince your garlic.

4. Wondering about variations? I sometimes grate a little Parmesan cheese on top before serving, sprinkle a bit of white wine vinegar or lemon juice at the end, or add some lemon zest when I add the garlic.