Grilled Herb & Onion Flatbread with Mozzarella, Grilled Carrots, Braised Radishes, & Dandelion Salad | culture: the word on cheese
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Grilled Herb & Onion Flatbread with Mozzarella, Grilled Carrots, Braised Radishes, & Dandelion Salad


Grilled Herb & Onion Flatbread with Mozzarella, Grilled Carrots, Braised Radishes, & Dandelion Salad

Leslie Orlandini
Warm flatbread, fresh off the grill, makes a great lunch when topped with garden-fresh veggies and softly torn mozzarella.

Ingredients
  

FLATBREAD

  • cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon dry yeast
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for rising and grilling
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red onion finely diced

GRILLED CARROTS

  • 2 to 3 large carrots
  • Extra-virgin olive oil to taste
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

BRAISED RADISHES

  • 1 bunch red radishes cleaned and quartered
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

SALAD

  • 1 bunch red dandelion washed, tough stems removed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 ball ¾ to 1 pound fresh mozzarella, gently torn into bite-size pieces
  • 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • FLATBREAD (PART 1): Pour warm water into a medium mixing bowl. With a wooden spoon, stir in yeast to dissolve. Let sit 10 minutes, until mixture starts to foam. Stir in salt, honey, and olive oil. Stir in flours to form a sticky dough. Turn out on to a lightly floured board and knead until smooth. Place in a large oiled bowl and cover with plastic or a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled in size, about 1½ to 2 hours.
  • GRILLED CARROTS: Meanwhile, heat grill (charcoal, gas, or grill pan) on medium. Peel carrots and cut in half lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place carrots on grill and close lid (if using grill pan, cover with a lid or sheet pan). Grill, turning every 4 or 5 minutes, until softened and slightly charred. Transfer to a plate to cool. Cut on bias into 1-inch pieces.
  • BRAISED RADISHES: In a small sauté pan, combine radishes, butter, vinegar, and sugar. Cook over medium-high heat, until radishes are just tender. Uncover, raise heat to high, and glaze radishes until liquid reduces by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  • FLATBREAD (PART 2): When bread dough has doubled in size, gently remove from bowl using a rubber spatula or dough scraper. Place on an unfloured surface (the oil from the bowl should prevent dough from sticking).
  • Scatter marjoram and onion over the surface of the dough, and with the aid of the scraper or spatula, fold the dough in thirds, as if folding a letter. Give the dough a quarter turn and fold in thirds again. Flatten slightly and cut in half. Cut each half into four pieces.
  • With a floured rolling pin, roll each dough portion to a long, thin oval, roughly 4-by-9 inches in size. Brush or spatter oil on top of each rectangle. Gently lift, and place directly onto hot grill or grill pan. Grill over medium heat, until browned, 3 or 4 minutes. Flip with tongs or a spatula, and brown other side. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • SALAD: In a large bowl, combine grilled carrots, braised radish, and dandelion. Add mozzarella.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil and red wine vinegar, plus salt and pepper to taste. Pour vinaigrette over salad, and toss gently.
  • To serve, place one flatbread on each plate. Top with a handful of salad, making sure each has all elements, equally divided. Serve any extra flatbreads on the side or save for another use.

Stylist Leslie Orlandini

Leslie Orlandini is a chef and an accomplished food stylist in print and television. She has been nominated for both James Beard and Emmy awards and is a veteran of thousands of cooking shows and segments. You can learn more about her through her website: http://leslieorlandini.com/

Photographer Mark Ferri

Mark Ferri is a graduate of Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, Calif. He believes in a simple, direct approach that captures the natural beauty and appetite appeal of food. Mark celebrates a life-long passion for food by frequently exploring new restaurants in New York and in Europe, and loves to cook and entertain at his home in the Hudson Valley. Learn more about Mark on his website: http://www.markferriphoto.com/

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