Eat your greens: Swiss chard

Swiss chard is the Rodney Dangerfield of greens — it don't get no respect. Or at least, not the kind…

Swiss chard is the Rodney Dangerfield of greens — it don't get no respect. Or at least, not the kind of respect it deserves.

With its broad, crunchy stalks and earthy, slightly saline taste, chard is more aggressively flavored than its more popular leafy green counterparts like spinach (to which it is related) and kale (to which it is not). But for those who like food that pushes boundaries, cooking with chard can be hugely rewarding.

Native to the Mediterranean (not Switzerland, as its name would suggest), chard makes the perfect filling for phyllo dough pies like hortopita, and it pairs beautifully with pine nuts, artichokes, or lentils.

The stems, a vibrant rainbow of reds, pinks, whites, and yellows, are hard and fibrous, but become tender and delicious when grilled or pickled. Its shiny leaves are at home chopped raw in a salad, but can also hold up against long simmers and braises without falling apart or dissolving into mush.

They're wonderful in a soup or simply sautéed, but my favorite way to serve this green is to combine softened chard with onions, mushrooms, sweet corn, and chilies in adobo. The result: hearty, smoky, vegetarian Swiss chard tacos that are hard to stop eating — and surprisingly easy to respect.