Rainbow Chard + Caramelized Shallots & Apple Cheese Melt

My spring garden is in full bloom right now. Our greens are growing out of control specifically chard, the more I pick the more robust the next lot which I guess is good, but its hard to keep up with the recipes I can use them. So I’m sharing them with my family and neighbors. Chard is a beautiful green, its rich in nutrients and unlike spinach its sturdy yet it cooks down like spinach. The young baby leaves are delicious raw in smoothies and salads. More mature leaves are still mild and can be sautéed into a delicious stir fry side dish or added to other recipes. Today for this recipe we sautéed chard with little garlic, layered it with caramelized shallots, sliced apples, mustard, gruyere cheese and pressed them on hot skillet until the cheese was melted and everything turned gooey and delicious. And my god it is amazing. If you give the recipe a try, I would love to know what you think. Enjoy!!

Rainbow Chard + Caramelized Shallots & Apple Cheese Melt, 2-3 sandwiches

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4-6 large leaves of rainbow Swiss Chard, tough stem removed but keep the tender stems and thinly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 teaspoons fresh or dried thyme
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup fresh grated gruyere
• 1/4 cup fresh grated mozzarella
• 4 shallots, thinly sliced
• Kosher salt and black pepper as needed
• 6 slices fresh seeded whole grain bread
• One large apple, thinly sliced apple such as Opal, Golden Delicious or Pink Lady
• 1 1/2 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1. Start by preheating your cast iron skillet or grill pan over medium heat.
2. Finely slice the shallots. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and warm the oil. Once warm add the sliced shallots, thyme and sauté for 8-10 minutes on medium heat until caramelized stirring frequently. Once done transfer the shallots to a plate and set aside.
3. Chop the Swiss chard and sauté the greens with chopped garlic, until wilted and garlic is slightly brown in the same pan, you may need to add a little oil. Once done transfer the greens.
4. Slice the apple but just before assembly to prevent browning and combine both grated cheeses.
5. Spread mustard on both slices of the bread to cover the entire surface of the bread. Spread a little cheese over the mustard and lay 3-4 slices of thinly sliced apple on top. Spoon the caramelized shallots and the sautéed greens on top. Add the cheese on top of the greens in an even layer and place the second slice of bread.
6. Brush a little olive oil on the slice of bread and place it in the skillet, oiled side down. Cover with a weighted press and cook for two minutes until toasty and cheese starts to melt. Flip the sandwich over, brush with a little olive oil if needed and cook for another two minutes until the cheese is melted through.
7. Cut in half and serve warm. Serve as is or accompany any soup or salad Tasty!!