Swiss Chard and Wheatberry Rolls

A few weeks ago I eat a delicious wheatberry and edamame salad. And I love the chew, the nutty taste, such a lovely mouth feel. So I go in search of wheatberries. Not an easy task as they are hard to find! Happily, my search is fruitful and soon I am boiling a pot of wheat berries. They take a long time to cook, forty five minutes long, during which I contemplate a few recipes. The berries cook up puffy, fluffy and brown I turn half into a salad. And I use the other half to stuff Swiss chard. My first attempt is with rainbow chard. The leaves turn an unpleasing dark brown. So I settle with regular green Swiss chard. 

The leaves are quickly blanched. I cut out center ribs to make it easier to roll. The stuffing comprises of red peppers, goat cheese and loads of fresh parsley. A heaped spoon of stuffing sits in the middle of the leaf. The lowers ends are tucked  in tightly and the rolling begins. Stuffed rolls are steamed for 10 minutes. I make a quick garlicky tomato sauce to spoon over these rolls. Soon we will be dining on little parcels of health!!!

SWISS CHARD AND WHEATBERRY ROLLS 

Makes 8-10 rolls

1 bunch Swiss Chard

1 cup cooked Wheatberries (follow instructions on package)

1/2 cup Goat Cheese

1 Red Pepper, cut into thin slivers

1/2 cup minced Parsley 
1/2 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper 

1 tablespoon Olive Oil 

2 Garlic cloves 

1 1/2 cup Tomato Sauce 

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt 

Server all grinds Black Pepper 

Heat water in a saucepan. 

Separate chard leaves. Once the water has boiled, drop a few leaves at a time into the water and blanch for 30 seconds. Take leaves out and drain on a sheet pan.  Finish blanching all leaves.

Blot leaves dry. Cut the center rib at the lower part of the leaf. This will make it easier to roll. Do this for all the leaves.

Mix wheatberries, goat cheese, red pepper slivers, parsley, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. 

Spread one leaf on a flat surface. 

Mound a heaping tablespoon of wheatberries in the center.  Bring the lower folds of the leaf over the stuffing and tuck them in tightly under stuffing. Fold the right and left parts of the leaf over the tuck. Then push the stuffing forward to form a tight roll. Repeat with leaves till wheatberries are used up.

Lay rolls on a basket steamer. 

Heat 3 cups of water in a saucepan that will hold the steamer. 

Lay steamer in the pan, cover and steam rolls for 10 minutes.

Make sauce while rolls steam. 

Cut garlic into thin slices.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan. 

Add garlic, tomato sauce, salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Serve the rolls warm with a ladleful of tomato sauce.

These rolls prove to delightful bites of goodness. A forkful of green and grain is not only good looking but also an appetite pleaser.

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