Hello all,

Hope you have been well.

A few weeks ago, the team from Camille Styles came over for a visit as part of their How I Gather series. We spent the first real spring day we had in a long time outside in my garden. Estuvimos muy a gusto, as we say in Spanish and as I reference in the story. I cooked a simple menu of farinata, a meringue cake with rhubarb, and some sourdough with marinated artichoke hummus. I will be sharing the recipes here in the next few newsletters.

First off, farinata, which is one of the easiest flatbreads to make - chickpeas flour, water, olive oil, and salt baked in a hot cast-iron skillet. I topped it with pesto, black olives, feta, and pea shoots, but you could serve it as is, stir in herbs, or use it as a base for pizza. Read the headnote for additional tips.

Hope you will try it and as always, report back.

Thank you Dorothee Brand for all the beautiful images.

Much love to all.

xo-Aran

Farinata with Hazelnut-Arugula Pesto

Farinata or socca is a flatbread made with chickpea flour. It is simple to make and can be used as a base for pizzas or served as a flatbread alongside a meal. It requires a cast-iron pan and high heat to get crispy edges. I topped the baked farinata with hazelnut-arugula pesto, black olives, feta, and pea shoots.

A few notes about this recipe:

- It is important to let the batter rest so it can hydrate well. You can make it ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bring it to room temperature before baking. 

- Place the cast-iron pan in the oven while it preheats and at least for 20 minutes after it reaches its temperature. It is important that it is very hot to get a good crust on the exterior. 

- Farinata is best eaten right away while warm. If you keep it for another day, brush the top with some olive oil and reheat in a 400F oven. You can also freeze it tightly wrapped. 

- Use as a base for pizza topping with sauce, cheese, and favorite toppings. I used Violife vegan cheeses.

Makes 2 flatbreads

For the Hazelnut-Arugula Pesto

1 garlic clove, peeled
1/2 cup (60g) toasted hazelnuts
2 large bunches (120 g) arugula, roughly chopped

1/2 cup (110 g) extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces (60g) parmesan, finely grated
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Combine garlic and hazelnuts in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the arugula and continue processing while also pouring in the olive oil in a steady stream until you have a smooth paste.

2. Scrape the pesto into a large bowl and fold in the parmesan and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed. Set aside.

For the Farinata

2 cups (240 g) chickpea flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

 1/4 cup (55 g) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for pan

1 1/2 cups (320 g) warm water

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl (preferably with a spout which will make it easier to pour into the pan later). The batter will be thin like heavy cream. Cover bowl and let the batter sit for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place a 12-inch cast iron pan in the oven. Preheat oven to 450F.

3. After the batter has rested (it should have thicken slightly but still be pourable similar to heavy cream), remove pan from oven. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add half of the batter into it while swirling around the pan to reach all sides and evenly distribute. Return pan to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until the edges are browed and crispy and top begins to caramelize. If the top of your farinata still seems pale, you can turn broil function on in oven and bake for an additional minute until it caramelizes but be careful not to burn it. Slide the farinata onto a cutting board. Repeat the process with the remaining batter.

To Serve

Hazelnut-Arugula Pesto

3 ounces (90 g) feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup (60 g) pitted black olives, coarsely chopped

1 cup microgreens or small tender greens

Spread the pesto on the farinata and top with feta, olives and greens. Serve immediately.