Well hello there! How have you guys been? I spent most of last week testing recipes. I stocked up on oat flour, almond, sorghum, sweet rice, chickpea and fava flours and experimented with cakes and waffles. I made ice cream out of a single banana! I approximated cheese from nutritional yeast and eggs from flax seeds and water, which are different from eggs conjured up from chia seeds and water, which I do all the time when I forget to shop for the weekend.
I was also in two weddings in one day last weekend –one while rocking a long dress of Caribbean Sea blue with ruffles– the other, a dress that left me susceptible to the most beautifully uneven sunburn. There was also a rehearsal dinner and a brunch involved. To regain some balance and reconnect with ourselves we spent this weekend in the Adirondacks, possibly my favorite place to be. No cell service, no one around for miles, the smell of pines. It’s a little scary at first and then it’s all I want. I cook over a slow fire, simple and rustic and I sit outside with a dark brew or red wine, my face tilted toward the star-filled sky until I’m either on the verge of freezing or falling asleep. We climb one of the high peeks, examining the buds, avoiding the last ice if the season and somewhere during the journey I realize that my thoughts have narrowed themselves to the task at hand and I’m me again.
When we first started out in the city we had time and no money. I was in school and had a few go-to meals. Most of them included pasta. The purpose of this blog was to share my journey as I learned how to cook, a seemingly insurmountable task when your only dishes are salad dressing chicken, lasagna and grandma’s meatballs. I remember in one of my very first leek soups, the commit was off because I didn’t realize to use the white part of the leek, not the green part. Pretty novice.
In the process of it all I learned how to cook, but also how to eat and nourish (and how to take photos). Now I’m refining that knowledge.
All of last week’s the experimentation comes from the desire to care for and nourish ourselves back to whole when the days of pizza binges and bottles of wine don’t seem like the best idea anymore–well at least not every week. It’s a reaction to when things like cholesterol and triglycerides start to mean something.
I’m looking for a heart healthy dessert. Mostly we eat a square of chocolate or split a cupcake for dessert, but I want to make a while cake to devour that’s low in fat, sugar and is gluten free. I’m listening to podcasts, scouring Pinterest and learning to see if decadent flavor can be had without tons of sugar or fat and using alternate flours. Most of the time the answer comes in raw form, like a date/nut/cacao-type combination, but I’ve stumbled onto a few keepers and will share as soon as they’re perfected. I don’t spend a ton of time in the dessert realm over here (though cake may be my favorite food–both wedding cakes were pretty stellar last weekend), but I thought it would be fun to expand the repertoire, keeping it heart-healthy and accessible to all.
When I step away from my “lab or a tory” and into the mountains, though, my thoughts returned to Mediterranean cooking, French pastries, cheese and olives and I regained a modicum of perspective. Learning how to nourish ourselves and each other in the different stages of life is a process and if I take my time, I have a feeling this will be a very cool thing.
As an homage to this idea and to the days when a recipe called for leeks and I put in the green parts only, I bring you socca, redolent with herbs and served with with creamy leeks, spinach and chard (sans creme). Reminiscent of warm nights in Nice, this is heart-healthy street food that will warm the soul as well.
HERBY SOCCA FLAT BREAD WITH CREAMY LEEKS, COLLARD GREENS, SPINACH & ARUGULA
(This recipe was adapted from the lovely Jodi at What’s Cooking Good Looking, a blog so beautiful and delicious that if I had known she existed when I first started nearly 5 years ago, I would have stayed far away from the name I chose to avoid comparison. But alas, she is such a newly discovered resource for me, I’m happy to have such a talented namesake).
INGREDIENTS:
For the Socca:
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon of cumin
- 1 cup of chickpea flour
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of water
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil (optional)
- the juice of 1/2 a lemon (1 tablespoon)
- about 1/4 cup of sesame seeds, white and/or black (optional)
For the Creamed Spinach, Leeks, Chard:
- a couple tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 very large leek, sliced thin (about 6-7 cups)
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6oz of plain greek yogurt (I used fat free)
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
- 1/3 cup of filtered water
- 3 large handfuls of spinach, roughly chopped
- 6-7 chard leaves, stem removed and roughly chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Prep the Socca:
In a medium bowl, combine the ingrediens, minus the sesame seeds. Allow the batter to sit for 20-30 minutes while prepping the rest of the ingredients for the dip.
Bake the Socca:
Pre-heat the oven to 450º. Grease a 9”x13” shallow baking pan. I used a tart pan here.
Pour the batter into the baking pan, sprinkle with any remaining herbs as well as the sesame seeds (if using). Bake for 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown. You can also cook for another couple minutes longer if you want your socca really crispy. Slice the socca into squares, remove them from the pan, and set aside until you’re ready to serve with the dip.
Make the spinach + leek dip and serve:
Turn the oven heat down to 350º.
In a large cast iron, heat up the olive oil over medium heat and then add the leeks. Cook while stirring often, until the leeks are very soft, but be careful not to brown the leeks. Add the garlic and salt and cook for another couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Place ½ cup of the cook leeks into a blender or food processor along with the yogurt, water, and lemon juice, and blend until smooth. Keep this mixture in the blender while you cook the spinach, arugula and chard.
Place the leeks back over the burner and turn the heat on to medium. Add the chard, arugula and spinach and cook, while stirring, until the leaves have wilted. Turn the heat off again, add the leek cream mixture, and stir to combine everything.
Place the cast iron in the oven and bake the mixture for 5 minutes. Remove and serve immediately with the socca squares.
You’ll put Jeffrey Steingarten out of a job!
You’ve reminded me of my next door neighbour, Mary, in Atlanta, many years ago. She was as old as the street and always had a huge plug of tobacco in her cheek. She had no electricity and her pipes leaked so badly that she had to use a tap outside the property. Her substantial back yard was full of dirt and old furniture. Mary used to come in and pick collard greens from the wild part of my garden whenever they sprung up. I wanted to try collards myself, but didn’t have the heart to deprive Mary – I had a big soft spot for her and wanted to listen to tales of the old neighbourhood, however, more often than not the lump of tobacco made her very hard to understand.
You crack me up, MD! That is some neighbor. Your garden sounds awesome. Collard greens are known for being a thing of the South. You really paint a vivid picture of Mary with the lump of tobacco. I’m excited to revisit the culture down there. We’re taking a road trip in a couple of weeks to the deep south to experience all the good food!
I wish I still had the garden, it was quite big and I grew a lot of vegetables, though the mosquitoes had a field day with my tasty, garlic infused blood! Georgia barbecue is very good, especially little shacks and smokers at the side of the road. I hear there’s an amazing home cooking revival going on in Charleston:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r09t0
Amazing, MD! You’re such a wealth of knowledge. LOL re your garlic infused blood. I’ll be prepared.
Do take precautions – my legs were covered in bites the first time I ate dinner outside at a restaurant in the middle of the city! I did find a fantastic after care spray, containing calamine and a local anesthetic. A circle of citronella candles were a great barrier around the barbecue!
Oh I used to spend time in Florida and I know what that is like. Thank you for the reminder! Can’t wait to watch the link you sent.
Yummy!
Thank you 🙂
Very nice, Amanda! Can you believe it, I’ve never tasted socca in my life! It is amusing to see how it has become a “fashionable” and healthy dish overseas (in the UK and the US), but I wouldn’t ever have known about it if I hadn’t had a room mate (way back when, 10 years ago or more) who had worked at the “original” socca place in Nice. I really should make it some day, as I love chickpea flour, and always have it on hand for when I crave Indian pakoras or Persian cookies. I did make socca’s twin sister (brother?) once, farinata; and I loved it, so I know I would love socca too. I like your creamy veggies too, and the tang the yogurt must give them. I can see you have been busy, that hike in the hills sounds and looks beautiful. And it sounds like you are having fun in the kitchen too! I’m glad you are feeding on all that is positive around you, weddings, good produce, friendships and love.
I’m not totally surprised that you haven’t tried socca. It really is very specific to a region and even still, mostly street food. David Lebovitz has a post on socca and his French neighbors who’ve lived there their whole lives had never had it. I did find myself wanting to make it more Indian. I thought adding coriander next time might really make this full of flavor. I do think Farinata is a twin so you would definitely like this. I usually find my footing around this time of year and I’m trying to keep a positive spin on things on. I hope your move, packing and unpacking is going well!
Oh that’s funny that David Lebovitz’s neighbors have also never tried socca! (did I ever tell you about the several times I met D. L. in Paris? The one time we talked, he was really nice!)
And thanks, I’m still packing… but I’m almost done. Can’t wait to be in the other house! Almost there. And then I’ll focuse 100% on NY!!! (CAN’T WAIT. SO EXCITED.)
i adore socca, though because i’ve never had it “professionally” i’m not sure if i’ve made it correctly. either way, it’s a great alternative to bread.
now that i’m getting older, i think about heart healthy foods, and foods that taste good but nourish too.
have you ever baked with quinoa? sometimes i make a chocolate quiona cake that is not too sweet but does the job of staving the cravings. (it’s in my archives)
I completely agree with everything you say, Lan! Socca is a great bread alternative and so good, though because I’ve never had it in Nice, I may be a total impostor….albeit this one is a good impostor. I grew up worrying about heart disease because it goes down the male line in my family, but now i know my husband has to watch out too so i’m taking it to heart..pun intended. I haven’t baked with quinoa and I can’t wait to look through your archives to find it. I could cook off your blog all day and just repost it. 🙂 xo be well.
You are one busy lady. I don’t know how you have to to cook, let alone experiment with different ingredients. The flatbread looks delicious and who can resist creamy greens. Looks like a lovely meal.
Thank you, Jovina. Have you had farinata before? I think it’s the Italian version of this. I’ve fallen behind on your regional roundups, but I’m wondering if you’ve ever come across this. I have been busy, a lot with other people’s events so I’m trying to focus inward for a while. I hope you’re well. It’s always great to hear from you. It must be so hot in Florida right now!
This looks so delicious! I have never used chickpea flour, but the photos of your socca made me want to try it. And the dip looks amazing–healthy and springy. I admire that you are experimenting with different types of flour and other ingredients. I love the Adirondack region too. My husband and I lived near there when we were first married, and we took lots of weekend trips to the area–Lake Placid and Saranac Lake were our favorite areas. I understand how helpful it is to get away and recharge. 🙂
Thank you, Jenny. This is my second chickpea flour recipe and I’ve liked them both, but it alone like buckwheat flour has a very distinct flavor. Im jealous that you lived in the Adirondack region. I don’t know if I could leave. I want to live in Keene. I’m sure you understand the power of recharging. I hope you’re well. It’s always great to hear from you.
Great post and I’m intrigued by your experimentation. A lovely reminder too that it’s been way too long since I made socca, love the idea of the herbs.
Thank you, Chica! I expect to have some great recipes up soon. I bet you make some amazing socca with your olive oil! Xo
I hope you wore the dress that gives uneven sunburns second so it didn’t mess up the other look 😉
Thank you for the cooking inspiration, I’m always looking for new ideas to make leeks and spinach with! And while also on the subject of healthy desserts, I made a carrot cake for the first time yesterday (am currently seeing if the photos are “blogable”, lol). I made up the recipe, ok? but considering it has tons of carrots, spices, harina integral (how do you say that in english, whole flour? wholemeal flour? I’ll have to check) and brown sugar, we could consider it’s healthier than your average cake.
That sounds like a great cake. Maybe whole wheat flour. The sunburn came first and everyone was asking me the second day where I went in vacation… I told them a rooftop wedding. This socca and dip are a keeper. This morning I made oar floor and almond milk pancakes. I should have taken photos but they were gone before I had the thought. So good! I’ll try to post the recipe this soon. I like your new site format BTW. I love reading about what you’re up to. Xo
Well said lady love and you know it’s wedding season when you hit up two weddings in one day, sheeeshhh!
Reading this,, I kinda want to play with Mediterranean cooking too now 😀
Always inspiring <3
Thank you, Dana! Seriously re weddings and I haven’t been to a wedding in a while. Mediterranean cooking is always welcome in my kitchen! Thanks so much for your kind comments. Always appreciated. xo
what an adventurous cooking week! It all sounds exciting and inspiring, and that socca bread straight from the oven….oh yes! I also love the thought of being in a cell free hideaway, so relaxing. Hope your sunburn is gone by now and that ruffle dress sounds so much like summer…. have a good upcoming week, Amanda!
Sabine
Thanks, Sabine. I’m glad the weddings are behind me and I can just focus on my kitchen and all the good stuff. I happened upon the best oat flour pancakes I’ve ever made, which I have to share here! Have a great week too! xo
Interesting post. Love this recipe!
Thanks, Debbie!!
I have a bag of frozen leeks in the freezer that I think would be fine in this recipe and have all the other ingredients. I’m pinning and I’ll be trying it soon
Aww thank you, Karen. You’ll love it. The dip is so tangy. It’s best when served hot from the oven! Enjoy!
I really do need to try making socca – I’ve read about it often and appreciate using different flours. And your creamed greens are calling my name! My go-to healthier dessert these days is the chocolate avocado pudding that’s been floating around the internet…I’m embarrassed at how many bowls I’ve devoured. I’m so glad you had a chance to go out of town. I’ve spent a lot of time at Lake Placid and it’s a stunning area. Nature is so very healing. I hope you’re feeling a bit restored and balanced.
You must try socca! I like to spice it up and torn it almost Indian. And I got rice flour at your suggestion to balance out those buckwheat waffles. I’ve seen the avocado chocolate pudding! If you like it I’ll do it. I’ve found quite a few others too that I’ll share. The Adirondacks brought us back to ourselves and now we’re in the Shenandoah Valley. It’s so beautiful here. We decided on a road trip down the east coast and inland because we needed that alone time and a break. It’s amazing and we’re starting to have cautious fun without the asterisk, to the best extent possible. I’m definitely more myself now. Thanks again for the will wishes and your caring comments.