Rainbow Chard

Until Saturday I had never heard of 'rainbow chard' - sounds harsh and bizarre.   In fact it is a green leafy vegetable that arrived in our organic vegetable box.   They really are quite pretty, but what on earth do I do with them?  I mean they're a leafy green so there are some pretty basic things that can be done, but will they be good?   So to the internet I went and I found a recipe to give me some guidance.  I came across Lemon Garlic Rainbow Chard and that was my inspiration.    

I had one bunch of rainbow chard and decided to modify the recipe to what I wanted and what best fit my family.   I skipped adding the stems and red pepper flakes.  Instead I started with some olive oil, 3 cloves of sliced garlic and ground pepper and sauted up the garlic over a medium heat.      I rarely measure anything when I am cooking things like this - so go with what 'feels right' to you to saute garlic and pepper to taste. :)

After that was sufficiently sauteed I tossed in the chopped up greens and covered the lid for 5 minutes.   Leaving the medium heat on - in retrospect - I would decrease the temperature just slightly next time, the bottom greens did get a tiny charred (which honestly did add another flavor to it, but they could have quickly gone south just the same.)   

I then dumped all the contents into a bowl and drizzled lemon juice over the greens... again no measuring - it wasn't drenched, it wasn't mere drops - but it was just enough.    They were delicious!   Now are they terribly different than other leafy greens?  Depends - I'd say yes, different than spinach in that the rainbow chard are more bitter, more like kale... maybe?  Overall - I certainly will enjoy them again!  Time wise this is a quick dish to make - total chop, saute, steam, drizzle and serve time was under 20 minutes.  :)

Loving Husband and I give the dish two thumbs up. Ace wanted to spit it out, but managed to choke it down without too much drama.  Mae was spared the taste test.   One bunch is certainly enough for two people, but if you're making it a family size side dish, I'd recommend 2 or 3 bunches to really make it a true side to a meal.   Happy cooking!