I feel like kale is taking over the world and there’s no stopping it. It’s in magazines. It’s on TV. It’s in the supermarket. Kalekalekale. It’s good for us. It becomes crisp and potato chip like when baked. Put it in pasta. Braise it. Saute it. Broil it. I feel like society is acting like Bubba (from Forrest Gump) and his shrimp, but with kale. Kale. Overload. This post is not about kale. It’s about its humble counterpart, which is just as good for you: swiss chard.

Swiss chard is an absolutely beautiful green that can be cooked in a variety of ways. It’s kinda like spinach. It has large leaves and ribs that vary in color, some varieties are even known as rainbow chard (!). The French only eat the ribs, which are not as nutritious, and cook them with cream and cheese. Italians only eat the leaves. We’re doing an Italian-French fusion here and cooking both. And we’re making then burst with flavor.

What better way to do that than to pair it with wonderfully seasonal winter citrus and sweet delicious shallots, my oniony weakness? The chard gets cooked down with those two and becomes tangy, sweet, and sour at the same time. The texture is substantial. The flavor booming. The meal nutritious for you. Life is good.

Swiss chard with orange and shallots

Adapted from Mark Bittman

Notes: this dish can also be made with kale, spinach, bok choy, or cabbage.

The peel is not removed from the orange in this recipe, and that kinda freaked me out. And although it was a little chewy, it totally worked. If it freaks you out, remove the skin and then chop.

1 pound chard, washed and trimmed

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 small orange or tangerine, seeded and coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (balsamic, white wine, or red wine vinegar could also work)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cut the stems out of the chard leaves. Cut the leaves into wide ribbons and slice the stems (on the diagonal if you like); keep the leaves and stems separate.

Put the oil in a large skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the shallots and sugar and cook for a minute, then stir in the orange or tangerine bits and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vinegar.

Return the heat to medium and stir in the chard stems. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften a bit, just a minute or two. Add the chard ribbons, cover, and turn off the heat. Let the chard steam for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir and re-cover the pan for another couple of minutes. Sprinkle with salt and lots of pepper and serve immediately or within an hour or two at room temperature.