rainbow Swiss chard with garlic and Meyer lemon

We went to Delfina on The Fourth of July to celebrate our 12 year anniversary together. Wow!

I really like their food: always simple and delicious. This last time we ordered a sautéd garlicky lemony Swiss chard side that was incredible. That’s really something for me, as I am not usually much of a chard fan: preferring neither the leafy green vegetable nor the white wine 😉

At the farmers market last week I bought a couple bunches of gorgeous rainbow Swiss chard. The stems came in orange, pink, yellow and white. The leaves were a bright green and curled a bit. They were dramatic to the point of being baroque, kind of like those enormous gaudy curtains you see at old movie houses or Broadway theatres, but in miniature.

Inspired by the restaurant and the drama of it all, I tried to reproduce Delfina’s chard at home. Turns out to be simple, quick and terrific! This is a simple healthy dish that’s a classic anytime.

rainbow Swiss chard with garlic and Meyer lemon

2 bunches of organic rainbow chard, stems removed to use in another recipe
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Juice from ½ Meyer lemon

Sauté garlic in olive oil until aromatic. Be careful not to burn it. Add whole chard leaves, salt and pepper. Toss to coat with olive oil and garlic. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes until leaves are tender. Transfer to serving dish then squeeze Meyer lemon juice over leaves.

Garnish with Meyer lemon half.

beautiful organic rainbow Swiss chard