Toast with garlic greens, prosciutto and goat cheese

What's that you say? Greens are bland and tasteless? Only suitable for human consumption as part of some kind of torturous spa food diet?

Not true! I know they're a tough sell for many but it's my mission to make you green-haters out there love them too.

Dedicated blog followers may have noticed the Salt and Pepper Kale Chips recipe that we posted last week. I'm dubbing that Part 1 in our Eat Yer Greens series; this is Part 2. The conversion process from green-hater to green-obsessed is simple: follow the recipes, eat, enjoy, thank me later.

Kale, Swiss chard, spinach, beet greens - they're all cheap, hearty, and incredibly good for you. They're also delicious, provided you don't boil them to death (here's a tip: if the water is greener than the vegetable, you've gone too far). I prefer to braise, saute, or blanch them or even eat them raw in a salad. This dish is quick and easy to prepare and makes a great lunch or light supper. It would also be a tasty brunch dish with a fried egg on top. Avoid pre-sliced sandwich bread as it tends to be too soft and instead opt for thick slices of crusty multigrain or sourdough.

Makes 4 servings

8 slices of bread
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches of Swiss chard
1 tablespoon water, as needed
Pinch of salt and pepper
4 slices prosciutto, cut in half
3 tablespoons goat cheese
Sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Turn the oven on to broil. Remove the tough ends of the chard, usually the bottom 2 or 3 inches, and discard. Roughly chop the chard into 1-inch pieces. Heat a drizzle of oil in a pan on medium-high heat. Add the chopped garlic and let cook for a few seconds, then add the greens. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and stir. Reduce the heat to medium. If the pan seems too dry, add a sprinkling of water (no more than a tablespoon). Cover with a lid and cook for 5-7 minutes until the chard is wilted and the stems are tender.

While the chard cooks, place the bread slices on a baking sheet and lightly toast under the broiler for a minute or two. Keep an eye on them as they will burn quickly. Flip and toast the other side.

To assemble, place a half-slice of prosciutto on each piece of toast. Add a small pile of the cooked chard. Crumble the goat cheese on top and sprinkle with the grated Parmesan. Return to the broiler for another minute or two until the cheese is melted and golden.