As you may recall, I’m doing my best to follow a more healthful diet, including [eek!] COLLARD GREENS, CHARD, and KALE. These veggies have always frightened me for some reason, and after chowing down on some red chard today, I can’t for the life of me remember why!

I mean, have you ever tried Googling “red chard recipe”?! There are so many different opinions out there about what the “right” way is.

I belong to a coop that provides my little family with a half share of organically grown fruits and veggies each week, and this week, I was a little perplexed to find some red chard in my box.

What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks does one do with red chard?

I looked online, in cookbooks, and didn’t really find anything that sounded at all appetizing…then it dawned on me: I don’t even know what this stuff is SUPPOSED to taste like. Which mean that it was okay to experiment. After all, my taste buds couldn’t really be disappointed, could they? Here’s what I came up with:

Sautéed Red Chard

• 1 bunch red chard (I used freshly picked, which I always think tastes better)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed to release the oils
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped
• a small sprinkling of red pepper flake
• 3 tbsp dried cranberries
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• salt to taste
• water

Start off by removing the hard stems from the chard, and drop each leaf into a sink of cold water. Rinse well, then transfer to a colander to drain.

While the chard is draining, rub a cast iron skillet with the two smashed cloves of garlic, then heat said skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, chopped garlic, and pepper flake. Cook for about a minute, watching closely.

Roll and cut the leaves into 1-inch strips, and add them to the pan. I did this in three batches. Once all the leaves are in, toss with tongs to ensure even cooking. They will become shiny and start to wilt. Once they’ve wilted, remove them from the pan.

Add the cranberries, and cook for about 2 minutes.

If the pan seems dry, add a splash of water (this will also plump the cranberries-YUM!). Add the sunflower seeds last, tossing to combine. TASTE for doneness and flavor. Add a scant bit of salt if needed.

Enjoy!