Garden Waffles at the Grandma's!

This weekend I’m staying at my grandmother’s house. Consequently, I’m using a foreign waffle iron, and cooking for a woman who has had more years and experience in the kitchen, then decades I could count on one hand. My grandmother is perfectly plentiful in skills: she’ll mend sock holes the size of softballs; she’ll iron the creases out of forever-folded frocks; and she’s capable of whitening your wickedly worn wear.

She is also abundant in character — unlike any other. (Unless you are a McInnes, you would not understand that that was even an understatement). I’ll save the novel for my memoirs.

My grandmother's beautiful garden

I will say, however, that she is my most devoted supporter — for any personal endeavor I so chose to pursue. Be it the pedicure and massage business I formed when I was 12, my knitting and jewelry company I created when I was 15, or the blog I dreamt up two weeks ago. Any project I begin brainstorming, she is already investing in the paraphernalia and wearing the T-shirt.

Naturally, if I was hunting for recipes, she would have me smothered in cookbooks. If I was scavenging for followers, she would pick up the phone and her address book, start with the Ay's and wouldn’t budge until she finished calling the Zed's.

Too many ripe tomatoes!

The following anecdote confirms these hypotheticals. Yesterday on the way to, and at the grocery store, my grandmother told one friend, enlightened one acquaintance, and boasted to two checkout clerks, “this is my granddaughter and she makes waffles for her blog!”.

Choosing a recipe was the hardest part. Despite my long (and getting longer) list of ideas, nothing seemed perfect. My only criteria, were taking advantage of the brimming garden, and pleasing my grandmother with both taste and esthetics.

I gathered tomatoes (plum, roma, and cherry), spinach, Swiss chard, and basil — still undecided on their fate. After a few tosses and turns, I decided the greens would go in the waffles, and the tomatoes on top. The idea of bruschetta on a three greens waffle, was only a natural conclusion.  

Bruschetta on a Three Greens Waffle

These waffles require several steps. First, make the waffles. Then, bake the waffles until they are crispy. Then, top them with bruschetta and bake again until the cheese is melted.

Three Greens Waffle

Waffle mixture and bruschetta

1 ½ cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 cup mixed greens, ground (spinach, basil, Swiss chard)

1 ¼ cups milk

2 eggs

3 tbsp butter, melted

Combine first four ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend spinach, basil and Swiss chard in the food processor until desired consistency. Combine with dry.

Beat eggs and milk until frothy. Pour wet over dry and combine. Stir in melted butter. 

Bake waffles in a 350 degree oven until crispy (apx. 15 minutes).

Waffles after they were baked (the first time).

Bruschetta

mixed tomatoes (cherry, yellow, red, whatever)

Ground up fresh greens and bruschetta

2 cloves garlic

salt, pepper

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

handful basil, coarsely chopped

For assembly: feta cheese, mozzarella cheese

Dice tomatoes. Mince garlic. Combine tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper, balsamic, olive oil in a small bowl. Let stand 30 minutes or more.

Assembly 

Spread each waffle with a bit of mozzarella. I cut each waffle into 4 segments. Then top each waffle with bruschetta. Sprinkle feta cheese on top. Bake in 350 degrees until mozzarella is melted. Broil a couple minutes to slightly brown the feta cheese.

These would make great amuse-bouches. Not to mention the leftovers make a deliciously sweet and savoury breakfast the following morning! Toast the leftover waffles, drizzle with maple syrup, and serve with fresh fruit.