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Chard Wrapped Grilled Mozzarella- Impressive Indeed!

Mozzarella wrapped in chard leaves. make that grilled 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.

Grilled Mozzarella

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

Sippity Sup preps grilled mozzarella wrapped in chard leaves.
  • 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.

Grilled Mozzarella in Chard Leaves from Sippity SupThe 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

grilled mozzarella