I waxed poetic about the fabulous grilled cheese with spicy green sauce I had the other day at Chase’s Daily in Belfast. I enjoyed this sandwich so much that I took a stab at recreating it.

I started with this recipe for whole wheat bread. I’ve tried dozens of whole wheat bread recipes in the past, only to end up with a dense, bitter tasting loaf. This recipe is a winner and is definitely on the make again list. It produces a light, airy loaf  full of grains and seeds. In this loaf I used 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, 1/4 cup flax seeds, and 1/4 cup seven grain cereal.

The only clues I had about Chase’s spicy green sauce was that it contains jalapeno, garlic, parsley, and oil; that’s all the server knew or was willing to share. Here’s what I used for my test version – quantities are approximate.

• three jalapenos, boiled until they were a little tender, de-seeded and diced
• 1/4 cup of finely diced garlic scapes (last year’s garlic harvest is but a memory)
• 1/4 cup of fresh parsley, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar

I put the whole lot into the mixer and blended, scraping down the sides, until I ended up with a finely diced spreadable green sauce. This made enough for two to three sandwiches. It would have been easier to blend if I’d made a larger batch, but we’re experimenting here. It’s sort of a jalapeno/parsley pesto. Next time I may add an extra jalapeno for a little more zip.

Liberally spread the insides of the bread with the green sauce. Add a layer of mozzarella slices, a layer of sliced tomato, and a layer of Monterrey Jack (or more mozzarella). Spread a light coat of butter to the outsides of the sandwich and toast until it’s melty.

Spicy Green Sauce – it’s a fun way to spice up a grill cheese into something truly special.