Watermelon Radish & Swiss Chard
Shaved gruyere, oven-roasted watermelon radishes with maple syrup, grilled rainbow swiss chard, sautéed chard greens (with onions, garlic, raisins & sherry vinegar), crisp watermelon radish slices tossed in vinaigrette (lemon juice, olive oil, champagne vinegar, maple champagne mustard, honey, fresh cracked pepper)
Recipe
Ingredients: 1 ball of pizza dough flour for dusting
semolina flour for pizza stone olive oil about 6 watermelon radishes 1 bunch colorful swiss chard, stems and center ribs separated from leaves 1 white onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1/3 cup raisins salt & pepper to taste 1 hunk gruyere cheese (enough to lightly cover a pizza), shaved dash of sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar 1 teaspoon mustard (we used Stonewall Kitchen’s Maine Maple Champagne Mustard) 1 teaspoon honey drizzle of maple syrup
Directions: Preheat your oven to 400° F. Cut about 4 of your radishes into wedges (4-6 per radish). You can keep the tail or cut it off, depending on your preference—they’ll look pretty either way. Toss them in some olive oil, maple syrup, salt & pepper.
Spread your radish wedges out in a single layer on a baking sheet, and cover them with foil. Put them in the oven for about 20 minutes, and then remove the foil and let them brown a bit longer, for up to 5 more minutes.
Meanwhile, start preparing your chard. Halve the stems crosswise and set the leaves aside for a minute. Boil some salted water in a medium pot, and then blanch the chard stems by letting them soften in the pot for about 3-5 minutes, and then transferring them to a bowl of ice water for about 30 seconds.
To grill the chard stems, you can use an actual grill or whatever type of indoor grilling device you have (we used a Cuisinart Griddler). Brush your grill rack with oil and turn it up to medium heat. Toss your chard stems in oil, salt & pepper, and throw them on the grill when it becomes hot. Turn them over occasionally until they are tender and lightly charred (ha!), about 7-10 minutes. When they are finished, cut them into 1-inch lengths.
To prepare the greens, start by sautéing the onions and raisins in olive oil over medium heat. When the onions begin to get translucent, add in the garlic and cook for another minute. Add a dash of sherry vinegar and then add in your chard greens. If the leaves are large, you might want to tear them each a few times before putting them in the pan.
Cook and stir the greens until they are nice and wilted (they will also become easier to stir at this point). Add salt to taste and take them off the heat.
When the radishes are out of the oven, you can increase the temperature to 550° F, or as hot as it will go, and start preparing the dough according to these instructions.
While your dough is pre-baking, you can make the vinaigrette. Whisk together one tablespoon of olive oil with the lemon juice, champagne vinegar, mustard, honey, and some fresh cracked pepper. Slice your remaining radishes thinly and toss them in the dressing. These uncooked radishes will preserve their vibrant color more than the roasted ones.
Once your dough has baked for a minute, take it out and brush it with olive oil. Add the gruyere shavings, followed by the sautéed greens mixture and chard stems. Next add the roasted and raw radishes, and then pop it back in the oven until the crust is golden brown. Take it out of the oven, let it cool for a few minutes and then enjoy!