First off, my Dad wanted a personal aknowledment for cleaning all the dishes I used to cook with at their house last night. Here it is, Dad! Thank you. As long as we get to share dinners together, I will likely be the one cooking and you will likely be the one cleaning. It's our team. I'll be waiting for my thank you on your non-existent blog whenever your ready.
We also got to spend some time this weekend with our nearly-three-year-old niece. She picks up on the slightest details and her cuddles make me want to stop time, but it's always refreshing to hear how she takes life in with such fresh eyes. Through her, I witnessed a more life-like example of how inhibited we become as we grow up. She runs without fear, wants to pet every dog, easily expresses sadness, approaches other children without hesitation, certain they will be quick friends. That state of mind takes you by surprise when you are coming from a stage of life without kids, and spend most of your time with friends who don't have kids yet either. I admire her. I just watch her, hoping that she stays so precocious, and for myself, curious about when I started to let fear creep in and judgement manage the things I do and say. I'm not going to go too far down the rabbit hole, but every now and then the older are not always wiser.
This grilled cheese satisfies the need for something warm and tasty. The greens and apple keep it on the fresher side, and the gruyere is mixed with some chopped shallots (a tip from Ruth Riechl at Gilt Taste) to add just enough kick to that perfectly melty, nutty cheese. Why people choose cold over hot sandwiches, I'm still not sure. We teamed up with the people at Wisconsin Cheese to compose a video of our grilled cheese sandwich recipe. You can watch it here. They are also hosting a recipe contest to enter an idea of your own with a pretty nice prize!
SAUTEED CHARD + GRUYERE GRILLED CHEESE // Makes 2
A few fine tuning notes. First of all, you want to let the moisture out of the chard so it doesn’t get soggy in the sandwich, so keep your sauté moving to release the pockets of steam. To get nice melty cheese, do not use pre shredded kinds. It has a coating on it to keep from sticking that tends to leave the cheese a bit dry. Fresh grated cheese will give you the best possible meltiness which we all prefer in a grilled cheese. Keep in mind, the measurements are all rough, so give and take as you wish.
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 leaves of swiss chard, stem removed and thinly chopped
1/3 cup fresh grated gruyere
1/4 cup fresh grated mozzarella
1 heaping tablespoon finely minced shallot
4, ½’’ slices fresh whole grain bread
roughly 1/4 cup thinly sliced apple such as braeburn, honey crisp or pink lady
1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
sea salt
While preparing the sandwiches, start preheating your cast iron or grill pan over medium heat.
Combine both grated cheeses and the finely chopped shallot.
On two slices of the bread, divide the mustard and spread to all edges of the bread. Lay two to three slices of thinly sliced apple on top. Divide the shredded cheese on top of the apple slices in an even layer. Lastly, divide the sautéed greens on top of the cheese and top with the remaining slice of bread.
Drizzle olive oil on the top, an optional sprinkle of sea salt and put it in the pan, oiled side down. Cover with a press if using and cook for two minutes. Drizzle oil on top and flip the sandwich over, cook for another two minutes until the cheese is melted through.
Cut in half and serve warm.