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Mozzarella wrapped in chard leaves.
Sounds good huh? But something’s missing. Something salty. Maybe kalamata olives! Yes, I like that.
That’s how my mind works. I came up with this recipe as part of a challenge over at Food52. They are having weekly recipe contests. Winning recipes go into a cookbook. You should check them out. Maybe even participate.
But back to my recipe. It’s still missing something. Something bright.
How about red pepper flakes. You knew I was going to say that right? Whenever I say something is missing it is almost always red pepper flakes.
Still this is a contest. I want to win. I have come close before. I have even come in second before. But I want to really impress those judges this time…
What impresses people more than cheese? Well, melted cheese of course. So I am going to grill my chard wrapped, kalamata stuffed, red pepper spiced little packets of love.
Hey, I may not win, but I’ll certainly get their attention, right? GREG
Chard Wrapped Grilled Mozzarella with Kalamta Olives on Grilled Bread makes 8 CLICK here for a printable recipe
- 4 large, exterior chard leaves
- 8 pieces of mozzarella sliced into 2-inch wide triangles, 1/2-inch thick
- 8 kalamata olives, pitted and halved lengthwise
- 8 pn dried oregano
- 8 pn red pepper flakes
- salt, as needed
- olive oil, as needed
- 4 slices rustic italian bread about 1/2-inch thick
Lay the chard leaves out in front of you. Using the tip of a sharp knife cut on either side of the center vein of all 4 leaves. Discard veins. You should have 8 segments of chard leaves approximately 8"x3".
Put the leaves in a large heat-proof bowl and cover them with boiling water. Let the leaves sit about 3 minutes then drain and dry them with paper towels. Take care to keep them intact.
Lay a leaf out flat on the surface in front of you, shiny side down. Place a slice of cheese at the wider end of the leaf. Top that with two halves of kalamata olives, a pinch of oregano, a pinch of red pepper flakes and a few grains of salt.
The next step is just like folding a flag. Fold the leaf over the cheese creating and angle which becomes one side of a triangle. Alternate this fold left and right creating a tight little triangular bundle. Brush the triangle with olive oil on both sides and sprinkle it with a bit more salt. Repeat with the remaining leaves and cheese.
The triangles may be made ahead several hours and kept covered in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before continuing.
To grill: Place the triangles, seam side down, on an outdoor grill over indirect heat. Cook uncovered about 6 minutes, turning once. Make sure the cheese is completely melted by pressing on each one gently with your finger.
While the triangles cook, lightly brush the bread slices with olive oil on both sides. Give one side a light sprinkle of salt. Place them on the grill and toast them on both sides directly over the coals (no flame). Remove them from the grill and cut them in half on an angle.
To serve: Top each piece of toast with a grilled mozzarella triangle. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil.
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Comments
Bonne Chance!
Very creative,pleasing to the eye, bet it tastes awesome - this should definitely be in the cookbook.
LL
Rocking my World
This post really blew me away... NEVER thought to do this! The oozing cheese makes my mouth water just a bit.
Next time I have these ingredients, I'm going outside and firing up the grill.
cheese-stuffed chard
I would never have thought of this one but am I glad I found it. I've got lots of chard in the garden and am always looking for new ideas. This one takes it over the top.
What an ingenious idea, with
What an ingenious idea, with so many potential variations!
That is one fabulous looking
That is one fabulous looking little snack!
Love this one!
Love this one!
Brilliant!
What a brilliant idea! Love this and can't wait to try it as a first course for my next gathering of friends. So creative!
I am swimming in chard thanks
I am swimming in chard thanks to my CSA and I love this idea! So fun. Little packets of love and flavor for sure.
What an absolutely beautiful
What an absolutely beautiful idea. I really hope you win for this is a real contender. And I agree with you about adding the olives for a slightly salty component. And red pepper flakes never hurt.
I've already bookmarked this so I can borrow a Sippity Sup original. :-)
You are just so super
You are just so super talented in the kitchen. Pass me a plate of these...they look fantastic.
(sound of bugle call) CHARD!
Oh dude, you just made chard look damn sexy. Grill marks...did someone crawl under the house and did it out? ;) For a stove top griddle, you got some GRATE grill marks, Greg. I am saving this one to try soon. In fact, I'm going to get Alexis to get her to see these little devils. Excellent post.
I brought these to a friends house
...and grilled them there for a party. Then I brought a few leftovers home and reheated them in a pan for the photo. GREG
Not a big fan of chard but
Not a big fan of chard but might give this a try!
Love those grill marks!
There's something about grill marks that conjure up a smokey charred flavor memory. I love the way your toast looks. And the melting cheese. In fact, I want to eat about six of these right now!
TKS!
TKS!
Chard....
Hmmm....grilled chard. I might be willing to try this. My mother pretty much ruined chard for me. Over cooked then slathered in some kind of brown vinegary sauce. I'm gagging just thinking about it. But grilled...I'd be willing to try chard again.
You know what I like about this?
Everything. Fantastic.
You got my attention!
This is a winner in my book... I could chow down on several of those luscious little packets of goodness! Great idea :)
Cheesy Chard or Chardy Cheese???
Great job Greg!! Love how we get our veggies, protein and fats all in one bundle of love. If your go-to spice is red pepper, mine is smoked paprika. Isn't it grand to have something that makes all our favorite foods taste even better! xo Very genius indeed :)
Nice!
Absolutely foolproof way to get people to eat veggies! love how the chard retains color and shape yet the cheese is all melty..!!!
Absolutely amazing
That looks absolutely amazing. Now you mentioned right off the bat you needed something salty, there is always the famous bacon! (just kidding)
Doing this with kale...
I was just chattting with Devaki about our love of kale, and I can totally see doing this dish with some of the Tuscan variety I have growing in my garden this summer. Very creative, simple and delicious looking. - S
Looks delish!!! As a
Looks delish!!! As a vegetarian (not vegan) this has got me super excited...I might throw some grilled roma tomatoes & garlic cloves on this when I make it and make it into a little sandwich! Nom nom nom.
Way to Go!
Y'know? I think this is a really, REALLY creative use of chard leaves!!!! Way to go! [K]
I thought I had stuffed it all
I thought I had stuffed it all, but then came you. You are brilliant!
http://lentilbreakdown.blogspot.com/2009/10/gone-stuffin.html
Creative Juices are on the loose!
GREG - This is brilliant! I would settle for nothing less than a WIN my friend :)
I enjoyed reading the thought process that resulted in this rustic albeit brilliant adaptation.
In the words of the famous O - Luck is when preparation meets opportunity! So I shall wish you none of it :) You have this in the bag.
Ciao, Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
No need for luck...
This recipe is a sure winner in my eyes, it's original, easy to prepare, and it involves melted cheese, HELLO!!!
Wow, I love this idea! How
Wow, I love this idea! How wonderfully delicious melting mozzarella must be inside the chard! Fabulous!
omg how good does this
omg how good does this look??? LOVE the idea of wrapping the cheese in something and getting it all melty.
wow lil parcels of yummyiness
wow lil parcels of yummyiness
Spicy & Creamy
Spicy and creamy cheese are definitely a great combo. Good luck. This is a winner - very clever and a quick appetizer. (Although, I'll likely skip the bread altogether - working on that bikini thing.)
Guess what?
You got *my* attention with this one. I am now thinking about that chard I have in the garden in a whole new light!
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