How to make swiss chard not gross

I've been rather underwhelmed by the farmer's market offerings the past couple weeks. Whereas Summer produce is like Best Of: Mother Earth Edition, Fall's harvest is all root vegetables and hard fruits. I can only eat so many apple pies a month, so I picked up some giant swiss chard stalks today. 

The problem is swiss chard can be....bleh. Ok, perhaps bitter is perhaps a better word choice--at least more adult. I suppose buying some was a bit of a personal challenge--like  Iron Chef, except without the time limits and talent. But after doing a little internet research I learned that freshly picked swiss chard has very little to none of the bitterness. If you don't grow your own, definitely pick some up at your local farmer's market.   

I liked this recipe I found, but I didn't use any butter, doubled the garlic, along with the crushed red pepper, and added a few tablespoons of lemon juice at the end for some zing.

 Before...

 After...

Then I tossed the swiss chard with some leftover pasta and topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

Verdict: delicious!

I guess Fall isn't so bad after all...