Kristi Whitley

Healthy Living

Kalamata Olive and Herb Socca

With Roasted Vegetables

If olive bread exists, why not olive socca? Like focaccia, socca can be plain or it can have topping pressed and baked into the batter. We’re thinking sun-dried or fresh tomatoes, thin slices of summer squash, and zucchini blossoms. This socca is a bit thicker to account for both the pile of roasted veggies on top and the kalamata olives set into the batter. Beth of Tasty Yummies (http://tastyyummies.
com/2012/04/13/kalamata-olive-and-herb-socca-with-roasted-vegetables-gluten-free-vegan/) roasted up asparagus, sliced mushrooms, a poblano pepper, garlic, and halved cherry tomatoes, but you can use whatever vegetables you’d like.

Ingredients:

Socca

1 3/4 cups chickpea flour
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups lukewarm water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the pans
2 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Roasted vegetables

1 bunch fresh asparagus
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 poblano pepper
1 garlic clove
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence

Directions:

In a large bowl, sift in the chickpea flour, then add in the salt, and pepper. Whisk in water and olive oil. Then stir in the basil. The batter should be very thin, much like a crepe batter. Let sit on the counter, covered, for at least 30 minutes. You can also cover and refrigerate it overnight.

While the socca batter is resting, roast the vegetables. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and spread the veggies out on a lined baking (#) sheet. Toss with olive oil and herbs and roast for 20 to 25 minutes.

When the vegetables are out of the oven, crank it up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit and place two 9-inch cake pans on the center rack. Once the pans are roaring hot, remove them from the oven and add a tablespoon of oil to each, swirling it around to coat. Divide the batter to each pan and split the olives between them, sprinkling over the batter and pressing in gently.

Bake for about 5 to 8 minutes, or until the pancake is firm and the edges are set. Then place the pans into the broiler and broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the top gets some nice browned, almost black spots. Remove from oven and carefully flip out onto a cutting board. Cut into wedges and top with roasted vegetables.