Swiss Chard

You can cook the chickpeas a day or two in advance; pick up at the step where you sauté the onion and garlic.

Prettiest when not piled too high; divide the salad over two platters and put one at each end of the table.

You'll have extra butternut squash left over after making the ribbons; cut into cubes, toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast for an easy side dish.

Grill up a mix of eggplant and hardy greens and serve with curry yogurt sauce and lots of mint for a light vegetarian dinner.

This low-heat method is very gentle, lending the salmon a velvety texture.

Selling skeptics on the idea of a vegetarian dinner is easy when it's in pie form. Maitake mushrooms add heft.

Unlike a heavy béchamel, this streamlined cream sauce won't mask the earthy-sweet flavor of the greens.

This deceptively simple condiment is as addictive as pesto and as transformative as a squeeze of lemon. Spoon it onto fish, chicken, steak, roasted vegetables, or even pasta.

This breakfast is wonderfully versatile and allows you to use up any leftover grains you have from previous meals, folding in leafy greens for a bit of color. In that sense, think of it more as a template rather than a hard-and-fast approach.

Rainbow chard is especially pretty pickled, but any variety will work.

This dish is a great way to serve eggs for a group. Take the eggs out of the oven when the whites are slightly undercooked; carryover cooking will finish them.

The secret ingredient in this satisfying soup is a small amount of cornmeal (polenta), just enough to thicken the broth slightly. It balances the substantial sausage and greens for a soothing cold-weather dish. Aleppo pepper comes from the town of Aleppo in northern Syria; the flaky crushed sun-dried pepper has a slightly smoky flavor. It's become easier to find in gourmet markets, but if necessary, you can substitute red pepper flakes.

Sweet and citrusy with a touch of heat, this side dish would also be a great match for roast chicken or pork.

If you're trying to incorporate more dark leafy greens into your meals, Swiss chard is a great starter vegetable. It cooks quickly compared to kale and collards, and the stems are as delicious as the leaves. In fact, the stems are the prized portion of the plant in Provence, and that's not something kale or collards can brag about. We prefer green Swiss chard in this recipe because it cooks up a brighter green than red or rainbow chard and the stems are more tender, but if you can't find the green, don't hesitate to use other chards. Editor's Note: This recipe is part of Gourmet's Modern Menu for A Hanukkah Feast. Menu also includes Salmon with Potato "Scales" and Apple Fritters with Orange Glaze .

Give Swiss chard a flavor boost by adding whole chopped lemon instead of just the juice. Simmering it first softens the texture and bitter undertones. Serve this dish with Red Quinoa with Pistachios .

This is perfect to serve with some quinoa or wild rice as a main to a non-meat eater, or as a side with some roast chicken for the carnivorous. It's also good served warm the following day with a little grilled tofu added.

A malfatto (Italian for "badly made") is a tender dumpling with rustic character. It's a bit of work to trim and cook the chard; you can simplify the recipe by substituting frozen spinach, if desired.

Rosemary and garlic are often used to season lamb, but rarely are they part of such a complex taste arrangement as this recipe produces. The powerful duo is sprinkled on lamb chops that are quickly broiled. Garlic also flavors a hearty side of sautéed chard, while additional rosemary is simmered in balsamic vinegar, creating a beautiful, aromatic syrup to drizzle over the chops and greens. With only 35 minutes of prep time, this recipe is perfect any night of the week.