savory zucchini and skyr tart / torta salata con zucchine e skyr

June 27, 2017 | Simona

savory zucchini and skyr tart / IMG_0119

from zucchini and skyr to the finished tart

Last month, I spent some time at Gullkistan¹, residency for creative people in Laugarvatn, a town in southern Iceland (Islanda) on the shore of this lovely lake:

Laugarvatn on a sunny day

While there, I read a review² (recensione) of the memoir The Stones Speak by Icelandic author Þórbergur Þórðarson (Thorbergur Thordarson)³

This is the first book in Þórbergur’s bulk of autobiographical writings dealing with his formative years growing up on a farm on the southern coast of Iceland at the brink of the twentieth century. Þórbergur’s love for his natural surroundings and daily life on the farm is captured in obsessive detail with a humorous and at times absurdist essayistic style, and the communicative authorial presence found in all his writing.

I was intrigued and purchased the book at the bookstore (libreria) Bókakaffið⁴ in Selfoss.

The translator first introduces the reader to customs described in the book that are unfamiliar to non-Icelandic readers. Whether you have visited Iceland or not, you can immerse yourself in the detailed descriptions of life in the farm, of the inner life of a boy growing up in a fairly intense environment (northern climate, relative isolation) as he finds his place in a world that is a blend of concrete daily physical tasks and intangible presences. Such life is not always idyllic, which is something I appreciate about the book: the author captures the sense of wonder he experienced as a child, but considers some of his experiences through the lens of his maturity.

Storytelling is important in Iceland: there is a story behind almost everything you see or experience, usually going back hundreds of years, all the way to the Vikings. I love the sense of history people have and their readiness in sharing stories. So, back to the US, I loved the kind of continuation of that experience I got from reading The Stones Speak.

outside the greenhouse at Solheimar / IMG_0002 (1)

the sign outside the greenhouse at Solheimar⁵ (Iceland)

Icelandic cuisine is one of the paragraphs of the introduction and in it, skyr⁶, the national cheese made with cultured skimmed milk, is described. At Efsti-dalur II⁷, a cattle and dairy farm not far from Laugarvatn famous for its ice cream, I bought delicious fresh farmhouse skyr, which I ate spread on crackers with some crumbled locally smoked trout⁸ on top or a thin layer of pesto made at Solheimar⁵ with the basil (basilico) that grows abundantly in their greenhouse (serra).

I knew about skyr before visiting Iceland. I didn't know about their greenhouses, heated by geothermal energy, in which various types of produce are grown, including, this time of the year, zucchini. Using the ingredients I had available, I prepared a savory tart adapting a beloved recipe of mine for savory carrot and fromage blanc tart.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Savory zucchini and skyr tart

Ingredients for the dough:

1 3/4 ounces / 50 g whole-wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 ounces / 50 g whole-grain spelt flour (or another whole-grain flour of choice)
1/4 cup / 60 g lukewarm water
1 teaspoon / 5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
A pinch of fine sea salt

Note: the version in the photo has all whole-grain spelt flour, because my extremely limited knowledge of Icelandic did not allow me to locate whole-wheat pastry flour in the grocery store.

Ingredients for the filling:

1 pound / 450 g zucchini, possibly organic
4 ounces / 113 g leek (white and light green portion, clean weight)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves of several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon prepared pesto, optional (I used pesto a la Solheimar)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
7 ounces / 200 g Efstidalur II Skyr or fromage blanc

Make a dough with the ingredients and knead until nice and smooth, not sticky at all. Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour.

Cut the zucchini into sticks and then each stick into thin slices. Cut the leek in half lengthwise then into thin slices. Rinse well to eliminate any dirt.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the leek and stir to coat. Add the thyme leaves and stir. Cook gently until the leek is tender.

Add the zucchini and stir well. Cook until tender. If the zucchini release a lot of water, let it evaporate, leaving some moisture so it is easy to mix in the skyr later.

Season the zucchini with pesto (if using) salt and pepper and stir. Let cool while you roll the dough.

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Lightly dust with flour a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches / 33 cm wide. Working on the parchment paper placed over a work surface, roll the dough into an 11 inch / 28 cm diameter disk.

Add the skyr (or fromage blanc) to the zucchini and stir until distributed uniformly. Spread the zucchini and cheese on the rolled dough to form an even layer, leaving a 1 inch / 2.5 cm border of clean dough all around.

Fold the uncovered border of dough over the filling and pleat it at regular intervals.

Slide the parchment paper with the assembled tart onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven.

Bake until the top crust is crisp, approximately 30-32 minutes.

Take the tart out of the oven, cut and serve.

Serves 4-6

ready to be cut

A lovely tasting tart, which I shared with a fellow artist at Gullkistan. Like Þórðarson's memories, it had the sweetness granted by a special place and special people.

¹ Gullkistan, residency for creative people
² Review of The Stones Speak in the Reykjavík Grapevine
³ Þórbergssetur the museum dedicated to Þórbergur in Hala, Suðursveit
⁴ Bókakaffið in Selfoss
⁵ Sólheimar (“The Home of the Sun”)
⁶ The brand of skyr you buy in stores in Iceland
⁷ Efsti-dalur II
⁸ The smokehouse in Utey makes three different kinds of smoked trout (silungur)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta salata con zucchine e skyr

or launch the torta salata con zucchine e skyr audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

This is my contribution to the 30th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

savory tart, zucchini, skyr, Iceland, vegetarian

recipe: savory zucchini and skyr tart

June 26, 2017 | Simona

Savory zucchini and skyr tart

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes total

Keywords: bake appetizer entree nut-free soy-free vegetarian zucchini cheese

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

For the dough

1 3/4 ounces / 50 g whole-wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 ounces / 50 g whole-grain spelt flour (or another whole-grain flour of choice)
1/4 cup / 60 g lukewarm water
1 teaspoon / 5 ml extra-virgin olive oil
A pinch of fine sea salt

For the filling

1 pound / 450 g zucchini, possibly organic
4 ounces / 113 g leek (white and light green portion, clean weight)
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
Leaves of several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tablespoon prepared pesto, optional (I used pesto a la Solheimar)
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
7 ounces / 200 g Efstidalur II Skyr or fromage blanc

Instructions

How to make the dough

Make a dough with the ingredients and knead until nice and smooth, not sticky at all. Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour.

How to prepare the zucchini

Cut the zucchini into sticks and then each stick into thin slices. Cut the leek in half lengthwise then into thin slices. Rinse well to eliminate any dirt.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the leek and stir to coat. Add the thyme leaves and stir. Cook gently until the leek is tender.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. (Alternatively, if you have an oil mister, coat well the bottom of the skillet.) Add the zucchini and stir well. Cook until tender. If the zucchini release a lot of water, let it evaporate, leaving some moisture so it is easy to mix in the skyr later.

Season the zucchini with pesto (if using) salt and pepper and stir. Let cool while you roll the dough.

How to prepare the base and assemble the tart

Preheat oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Lightly dust with flour a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches / 33 cm wide. Working on the parchment paper placed over a work surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch / 28 cm diameter disk.

Add the sky (or fromage blanc) to the zucchini and stir until distributed uniformly. Spread the zucchini and cheese on the rolled dough to form an even layer, leaving a 1-inch / 2.5 cm border of clean dough all around.

Fold the uncovered border of dough over the filling and pleat it at regular intervals.

Slide the parchment paper with the assembled tart onto a baking sheet and place it in the oven.

Bake until the crust is crisp, approximately 30-32 minutes.

Take the tart out of the oven, cut and serve.

Go to the full post on savory zucchini and skyr tart

torta salata con carote e fromage blanc / savory carrot and fromage blanc tart

June 3, 2014 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

savory carrot and fromage blanc tart / torta salata con carote e fromage blanc

brilliant

Did you read Carrot Top (Pel di carota) by Jules Renard when you were a child? Published in 1894, the autobiographical story recounts the childhood and the trials of a red-headed child. I don't remember anything about the book, except that it made me want to have red hair (capelli rossi).

I was reminded of that episode from my childhood when, in the novel A Share in Death, author Deborah Crombie describes Gemma James as having red hair. This physical trait is one of the reasons I like that character of the mystery novels Crombie has written that have as protagonists Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Detective Inspector Gemma James.

My preference for mystery novels is not a novelty nor is my interest in Scotland Yard characters, having already read stories featuring Adam Dalgliesh and Thomas Lynley (by P.D. James and Elizabeth George, respectively). Whether set in London, one of my favorite cities, or in some charming corner of the English countryside, all these novels make for a pleasant, relaxing reading at the end of my often hectic day.

The Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James novels I have read so far are:

A Share in Death
All Shall Be Well
Leave the Grave Green
Mourn Not Your Dead

They all made me want to visit London and the English countryside again, and again drink tea and eat warm scones, admire the roses in Kew Garden, glide on a boat along the canals.

I am currently reading the fifth novel of the series, Dreaming of the Bones, but ever since reading the first one, I have had in mind to create a dish inspired by Gemma's hair. Fresh carrots in my CSA share were my other source of inspiration: I would make a tart with them.

smiling for the camera

Another thing I had in mind was to try a special dough from La scienza in cucina e l'arte di mangiare bene (Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well), the seminal Italian cookbook Pellegrino Artusi self-published in 1891:

153. PASTA MATTA (CRAZY DOUGH) It is called crazy not because it is likely to do something mad, but for the simplicity and ease with which it can serve as the necessary dress for a variety of dishes, as you will see.

Sprinkle water and salt in due proportion over the flour and form a dough loaf that can be rolled out wafer thin. [source]

This is not the introduction, but the whole recipe. You'll see below how I used it to prepare the base of my tart.

freshly made and whipped fromage blanc

I wanted the filling to include some cheese. I thought creamy and light fromage blanc would work well, so I made a batch using half a gallon of whole milk and half a gallon of non-fat milk. This is an easy cheese to make: after you add the culture (this one is already measured and ready to be used), you leave the milk alone overnight and the morning after you drain the curd for some hours. A brief whipping with an electric beater and the light creamy cheese is ready to eat — as is, or flavored with herbs like chives or lovage (erba cipollina, levistico) — or use in some dish.

freckled crust

Flecks of bran in the whole-wheat pastry flour stone-ground from locally grown wheat in the dough give a lovely freckled appearance to the tart shell.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for savory carrot and fromage blanc tart

Ingredients for the dough:

1 3/4 oz. / 50 g whole-wheat pastry flour, possibly stone-ground
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g 00 wheat flour (I used King Arthur Italian-style flour)
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g lukewarm water
1 teaspoon / 5 ml EV olive oil
A pinch of fine sea salt

Ingredients for the filling:

12 oz. / 340 g fresh carrots, possibly organic
2 teaspoons / 10 ml EV olive oil
Leaves of several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g spring onion or red onion from the new crop, clean weight
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 oz. / 200 g fromage blanc, possibly homemade

How to make the crazy dough
Make a dough with the ingredients and knead until nice and smooth, not sticky at all. Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour.

How to prepare the carrots
Scrub carrots well and scrape surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Grate carrots using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Finely chop the onion.

Heat olive oil in a skillet. (Alternatively, if you have an oil mister, coat well the bottom of the skillet.) Add onion and stir to coat. Add the thyme leaves and stir. After 1 minute, add the grated carrots and stir well to coat. Cook on gentle heat for a couple of minutes. Cover the skillet and continue cooking, stirring every now and then, until the carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes.

Season carrots with salt and pepper and stir. Let cool while you roll the dough.

How to prepare the oven
Right before rolling the dough, prepare the oven.

I baked the tart on terracotta tiles. I place two on a rack. A pizza stone will work as well. Whichever surface you use, place it in the cold oven.

You can also bake the tart on a regular baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350 F / 177 C.

How to prepare the base and assemble the tart
Lightly dust with flour a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches / 33 cm wide. Working on the parchment paper placed over a working surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch / 28 cm diameter disk.

Add the fromage blanc to the carrots and stir until distributed uniformly. Spread the carrot and cheese on the rolled dough to form an even layer, leaving a 1-inch / 2.5 cm border of clean dough all around.

Fold the uncovered border of dough over the filling and pleat it at regular intervals.

spreading the filling on the base

The final act
Slide the parchment paper with the assembled tart onto the tile or stone in the oven or on a baking sheet.

Bake approximately 32 minutes until the crust is crisp. Check after 30 minutes of baking.

Take out of the oven, cut and serve.

Serves 4-6.

Perfect!

The last time I made the tart, I baked it in the wood-fired oven (without the parchment paper): the photo above shows the result.

I love this tart: the sweetness of carrots and the creaminess of fromage blanc blend well and the crazy dough offers a discreet and slightly rustic support to the duo.

I am sure Gemma James and Duncan Kincaid would enjoy a slice of my tart as part of their dinner at the end of a long day, just as I enjoy reading about their adventures at the end of mine.

This is my second contribution to the 21st edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

Carrots from my CSA share, homemade fromage blanc from local milk, local whole-wheat flour, onion from the farmers' market and thyme from my herb garden make my tart perfect for the Shop Local Food Blogging Challenge organized by Elizabeth of Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary.

The roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

torta salata con carote e fromage blanc

or launch the torta salata con carote e fromage blanc audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

[jump to Comments]

tart, carrot, fromage-blanc, Italian cuisine

torta salata con carote e fromage blanc

una delizia carotosa

Avete letto Pel di carota di Jules Renard da bambini? Pubblicata nel 1894, è la storia autobiografica di un ragazzino coi capelli rossi. Non mi ricordo i dettagli, ma mi fece venire voglia di avere i capelli rossi. La cosa mi è tornata in mente quando ho letto che Gemma James, co-protagonista insieme a Duncan Kincaid di una serie di gialli scritti da Deborah Crombie ha i capelli rossi.

Non sono riuscita a stabilire con certezza che i romanzi della Crombie sono stati tradotti in italiano, quindi perdonatemi se non scrivo i titoli. Ho letto i primi quattro e sono alle prese col quinto. Mi hanno fatto venire nostalgia di Londra e della campagna inglese.

I capelli rossi di Gemma e la dose settimanale di carote nella mia cassettina sono state le muse ispiratrici di questa torta salata, insieme ad una ricetta dell'Artusi.

sorriso per la fotografa

153. PASTA MATTA
Si chiama matta non perché sia capace di qualche pazzia, ma per la semplicità colla quale si presta a far la parte di stival che manca in diversi piatti, come vedrete. Spegnete farina con acqua e sale in proporzione e formate un pane da potersi tirare a sfoglia col matterello.

Tutto qui. Vedrete in basso la mia interpretazione.

fromage blanc fresco e montato

Ho pensato che il fromage blanc, leggero e cremoso, sarebbe stato il compagno perfetto per le carote e quindi ne ho fatto un bel po' usando 1,9 litri di latte intero e 1,9 litri di latte scremato. Il fromage blanc, come altri formaggi freschi, è facile da fare in casa: dopo aver aggiunto i fermenti (questi sono pronti per l'uso), si lascia riposare il latte durante la notte e la mattina dopo si drena il caglio per alcune ore. Una passata con il battitore elettrico per montarlo leggermente e il formaggio è pronto da mangiare (al naturale oppure con l'aggiunta di erbe aromatiche fresche) o da usare come ingrediente.

pasta lentigginosa

Fiocchetti di crusca nella farina integrale macinata a pietra sembrano lentiggini sulla pasta base.

Ingredienti per la pasta base:

50 g farina per dolci integrale, possibilmente macinata a pietra
50 g farina 00
50 g acqua tiepida
5 ml olio EV d'oliva
Un pizzico di sale fino

Ingredienti per il ripieno:

340 g carote, possibilmente bio
10 ml olio EV d'oliva
50 g cipollotto o cipolla rossa novella, peso netto
Le foglie di diversi rametti di timo fresco
1/4 cucchiaino sale fino, o a piacere
Un pizzico di pepe nero macinato fresco
200 g fromage blanc

Dose per 4-6 porzioni.

Preparare la pasta matta
Preparare un impasto con tutti gli ingredienti. Deve essere liscio e non appiccicoso. Farlo riposare, ben coperto (per esempio, avvolto in pellicola), per mezz'ora.

Preparare le carote
Lavare bene le carote e raschiarne la superficie con una lama per rimuovere la pellicina. Grattugiatele con la grattugia a buchi grossi.

Tritare il cipollotto (o cipolla).

Scaldare l'olio in una padella. Aggiungere il cipollotto e le foglioline di timo e mescolare bene. Dopo un minuto, aggiungere le carote e mescolare bene. Cuocere a fuoco dolce per un paio di minuti. Coprire la padella e continuare la cottura, mescolando di tanto in tanto, fino a quando le carote siano appena tenere, 10-12 minuti.

Condire le carote con sale e pepe e mescolare. Lasciar intiepidire mentre stendete a pasta.

Preparare il forno
Io cuocio la torta su delle mattonelle di terracotta. Ne metto due sul piano del forno. Una pietra da forno va bene lo stesso. Mettere il supporto scelto nel forno prima di accenderlo.

Potete anche cuocere la torata salata su una placca da forno.

Scaldare il forno a 177 C.

Stendere la pasta e preparare la torta
Infarinare leggeremente un pezzo di carta da forno largo circa 33 cm e stenderci sopra la pasta fino ad ottenere un disco di 28 cm di diametro.

Aggiungere il fromage blanc alle carote e mescolare bene, poi distribuire il composto sulla pasta in modo uniforme, lasciando scoperto un bordo di 2,5 cm tutto intorno.

Ripiegare il bordo sopra il ripieno e fare delle pieghe ad intervalli regolari per spianare la pasta in eccesso.

distribuire il ripieno sulla pasta

Il finale
Trasferire la torta nel forno (o sulla placca e poi nel forno). La carta da forno facilita questo passaggio.

Cuocere per circa 32 minuti, fino a quando la crosta sia bella croccante. Controllare dopo 30 minuti di cottura. (Ogni forno è diverso e i tempi di cottura variano.)

Sfornare, tagliare e servire.

Perfetta!

L'ultima volta che ho fatto questa torta l'ho cotta nel forno a legna (senza la carta da forno) e la foto qui sopra fa vedere come è venuta.

Adoro questa torta salata: carote dolci e formaggio cremoso si sposano bene e la pasta matta fornisce un supporto leggero e un po' rustico alla coppia.

Sono sicura che a Gemma James e Duncan Kincaid piacerebbe una fetta della mia torta per cena al termine di una lunga giornata di lavoro, proprio come a me piace leggere le loro avventure al termine della mia giornata.

Questo è il mio secondo contributo alla ventunesima edizione di Novel Food, L'evento lettero-culinario che Lisa di Champaign Taste ed io abbiamo creato qualche tempo fa e che io continuo ad ospitare.

Il raccolto dell'evento.

recipe: savory carrot and fromage blanc tart (torta salata con carote e fromage blanc)

June 2, 2014 | Simona

Savory carrot and fromage blanc tart

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes total

Keywords: bake appetizer entree nut-free soy-free vegetarian carrots cheese Italian

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

For the dough

1 3/4 oz. / 50 g whole-wheat pastry flour, possibly stone-ground
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g 00 wheat flour (like King Arthur Italian-style flour)
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g lukewarm water
1 teaspoon / 5 ml EV olive oil
A pinch of fine sea salt

For the filling

12 oz. / 340 g fresh carrots, possibly organic
2 teaspoons / 10 ml EV olive oil
Leaves of several sprigs of fresh thyme
1 3/4 oz. / 50 g spring onion or red onion from the new crop, clean weight
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
1/16 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
7 oz. / 200 g fromage blanc, possibly homemade

Instructions

How to make the dough

Make a dough with the ingredients and knead until nice and smooth, not sticky at all. Let it rest, well covered (e.g., wrapped in plastic film), for half an hour.

How to prepare the carrots

Scrub carrots well and scrape surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Grate carrots using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Finely chop the onion.

Season carrots with salt and pepper and stir. Let cool while you roll the dough.

How to prepare the oven

Right before rolling the dough, prepare the oven.

I baked the tart on terracotta tiles. I place two on a rack. A pizza stone will work as well. Whichever surface you use, place it in the cold oven.

You can also bake the tart on a regular baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 350 F / 177 C.

How to prepare the base and assemble the tart

Lightly dust with flour a piece of parchment paper about 13 inches / 33 cm wide. Working on the parchment paper placed over a working surface, roll the dough into an 11-inch / 28 cm diameter disk.

Fold the uncovered border of dough over the filling and pleat it at regular intervals.

The final act

Slide the parchment paper with the assembled tart onto the tile or stone in the oven or on a baking sheet.

Bake approximately 32 minutes until the crust is crisp. Check after 30 minutes of baking.

Take out of the oven, cut and serve.

Note: you can also bake the tart in the wood-fired oven (without the parchment paper).

Go to the full post on torta salata con carote e fromage blanc / savory carrot and fromage blanc tart

zuppa di lenticchie nere e verdure / black beluga lentil and vegetable soup

May 26, 2014 | Simona

a few red beets give the soup its vibrant color

In her book Funny in Pharsi, the current Cook the Books club's selection, author Firoozeh Dumas tells stories about her experience as an Iranian expatriate in Southern California.

Some of the stories are funny, others less so, but the author tells them all with irony, so the reader is made to smile and at times laugh. Irony, however, is also a device behind which a writer can hide and this is what happens in this book.

Being an expatriate myself, I am interested in reading other people's experience. The book reminded me of stories I told my friends about funny experiences I had at the beginning of my life in California, like being asked "How are you?" all the time by perfect strangers that would then not pause long enough to hear my answer. Learning that it was a polite greeting expression did not make it any easier to get used to it. (In Italy, you ask that question only to a person you know — and you mean it.)

I expect a memoir to go beyond a series of vignettes and give the individual experience a universal flavor. This did not happen for me with Funny in Pharsi. Still, reading the book in the context of our club prompted me to learn a bit about Persian cuisine.

Among the various recipes I browsed for inspiration, this one from Vegetarian Times reminded me that I had not made a lentil soup in a while. This version from the blog Turmeric & Saffron includes red beets (barbabietole rosse), an item in my spring CSA box, so I made up my mind to create a Persian-inspired lentil soup that would contain seasonal and local vegetables.

freshly harvested turnips

Besides baby red beets, in recent weeks my CSA box contained baby turnips (rape). The photo above, from last December, shows some small and some larger turnips I had harvested as part of my winter u-pick CSA. Turnips grow well in our area, yet are not as popular as they could be. Even in Italian, expressions that mention turnips are not flattering, like non si può cavare sangue da una rapa (you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip). A recent interesting article on the National Geographic website talks about this still underappreciated root vegetable.

I like turnips and don't need encouragment to put a bunch in my basket. Of course, in the company of red beets, white turnips cannot avoid getting painted in the same color, but they don't lose their delicately spicy flavor and stand up nicely to the sweet beets, creating a balance in the soup, together with lentils and fresh spinach (spinaci), the latter also from my CSA share.

sorting through lentils before cooking them

My preference for small lentils made me reach for my stash of black beluga lentils for the soup: pretty, small and quick cooking. The photo above shows why sorting through lentils before cooking them is a necessary step: on the right there are the small pieces of debris I found during the operation.

So, here is my lentil and vegetable soup, inspired by the book and a Persian recipe, but fundamentally its own story, personal and local.

a bit of knife workout

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Black beluga lentil and vegetable soup

Ingredients:

1/2 cup / 3.5 oz. / 100 g black beluga lentils
1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-large onion 9 oz. /250 g, finely chopped
3/4 lb / 12 oz. / 340 g approximately half baby turnips and half baby red beets, greens set aside for another use (see Note below)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (curcuma)
2 cups / 475 ml light chicken stock or vegetable broth, possibly homemade +
2 cups/ 475 ml water
4-5 oz. / 115-140 g fresh spinach leaves or baby spinach
Fine sea salt — the amount will depend on how salty the stock or broth is
A dash of freshly milled black pepper

Note: The greens of both red beets and turnips are edible and quite nice. I cook them with other leafy greens, like rainbow chard and kale.

Sort through lentils and remove any pebbles and bits of debris, then rinse in cold water and drain.

Warm up oil in a 6-qt soup pot and add the onion. Stir to coat and cook on gentle heat for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then. The onion will be soft and start to brown.

In the meantime, scrub root vegetables well then dice them. To ensure even cooking, make sure the size of dice is about 1/4-3/8 inch / 6-9 mm.

Add turmeric to the onion and stir, then add lentils, beets and turnips and stir.

Pour stock/broth and water into the pot.

Cover the pot, bring soup to a boil and cook on gentle heat until lentils and vegetables are tender. Check after 20 minutes.

In the meantime, wash spinach leaves and chop them.

When the soup is ready, season with salt to taste and black pepper. Add the spinach to the pot, cover and remove from the heat. The tender fresh spinach cooks in the residual heat.

It is better to let the soup rest for a while before eating it, to allow the flavor to ripen.

When mealtime approaches, bring soup back to boiling temperature and remove from the heat.

Ladle into soup bowls and serve, optionally topped with a dollop or two of homemade fromage blanc.

Serves 6.

just about perfect

I like this soup in both the vegetarian version and the version with chicken stock. Lentils and turnips give it an earthy flavor, red beets sweeten it and spinach brightens up the combination.

This is my contribution to the current edition of Cook the Books hosted by Rachel of The Crispy Cook.

The roundup of the event.

It is also my first contribution to the 21st edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

The vegetarian version of my soup makes it eligible for My Legume Love Affair #71, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, now organized by Lisa of Lisa's Kitchen, and hosted this month by Sowmya of Nivedhanam.

The roundup of the event.

Finally, I send my soup to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

zuppa di lenticchie nere e verdure

or launch the zuppa di lenticchie nere e verdure audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

lentils, turnips, spinach, red beets, soup, Iranian cuisine

crostata di prugne e fromage blanc / plum (or pluot) tart with fromage blanc

August 19, 2009 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

In a recent post, I talked about making fromage blanc according to the recipe in the book 200 Easy Homemade Cheese Recipes by Debra Amrein-Boyes, and listed a few ideas for using it. Among them there is a plum tart, a variation on what in Italy we call crostata.

My idea was to have a three-layered dessert: pasta frolla (sweet shortcrust pastry) at the bottom, fruit in the middle and fromage blanc as cover. For the crust, I added a variation to the pasta frolla recipe that I use to make offelle di marmellata. The variation entails the substitution of 1/4 cup of white flour with the same amount of whole-grain barley flour and of another 1/4 cup of white flour with the same amount of almond meal, of which I recently received a bag as a gift. Instructions on how to prepare pasta frolla are given in the post about offelle di marmellata. The only difference is that in this case, I use all the flours when mixing the dough, then I use some additional white flour when I roll it. The amount of pasta frolla I get is enough to cover my 9.5-inch fluted round tart pan (with removable bottom) and have a bit leftover to make a small cookie or two. Make sure you prepare the pasta frolla in advance so that it has time to chill.

Wash and slice a pound or so of rather large plums or pluots (complex hybrids of plum and apricot with predominantly plum parentage and smooth skin like plums) and macerate them with a tablespoon of Marsala or other liqueur of choice for a couple of hours. I chose larger fruits because they are easier to slice and make a nicer layer. When you are ready to bake the tart, preheat the oven to 350 F. Roll the dough into a rough circle 1/8-inch thick. Make sure the working surface and the rolling pin are lightly floured. I use plastic wrap, lightly floured, as a rolling surface, which makes the subsequent move onto the tart pan easier. Cover the tart pan with the dough, making sure it comes up to the edge all around, and prick the bottom in a few places with a fork. Distribute the plum slices over the surface. Reserve the juice. Bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, in a food processor, mix 12 oz. of fromage blanc, 1/3 cup of granulated white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of good quality vanilla extract, the reserved plum juice and one egg, slightly beaten. Blend until smooth. The consistency was such that I did not think it necessary to add a thickener. [If you use a softer cheese and/or obtain a more liquid cream, you may consider adding to it 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch.] Pour over the plums and distribute evenly. If the consistency is right, you will not have any spilling over the edges. Bake for another 20 minutes and then check, baking a bit longer if needed (I usually need another 5 minutes). The crostata is ready when the crust is light golden and the topping is set. Take the crostata out of the pan, let cool and enjoy it. I think that the combination of flavors works well.

Update: Since first publishing the post, I have made this tart several times. On one occasion, I used organic pears from the new crop (unpeeled). I liked the result, which is a special take on the all-time favorite combination of cheese and pears.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

crostata di prugne e fromage blanc

or launch the crostata di prugne e fromage blanc audio file [mp3].

[jump to Comments]

crostata di prugne e fromage blanc

In un recente post ho parlato di fromage blanc e ho indicato che l’ho usato per una crostata di prugne. L’idea era quella di un dolce a tre strati: pasta frolla sotto, frutta nel mezzo e sopra una crema a base di fromage blanc. Per la pasta frolla ho utilizzato una variante della ricetta che uso per fare le offelle di marmellata (tratta dall’Artusi), dove ho sostituito parte della farina di frumento con farina integrale di orzo e farina di mandorle. Preparare la pasta frolla con i seguenti ingredienti e metterla in frigorifero:

85 g burro freddo
65-70 g zucchero
65 g farina integrale per torte
70 g farina bianca
30 g farina d’orzo integrale o la stessa quantità di farina di frumento
25 g farina di mandorle o 30 g di farina di frumento
un uovo

La ricetta mi dà abbastanza pasta frolla da coprire la mia teglia di 23 cm di diametro e alta 2,5 cm, e me ne rimane magari un po’ per fare uno o due biscotti. Preparate la pasta frolla in anticipo, cosi’ ha tempo di freddarsi. Lavate e tagliate a fettine mezzo chilo di prugne piuttosto grosse o pluots (un incrocio tra prugna e albicocca con prugna prevalente: non so se si trovi in Italia). Mescolatele con un cucchiaio di Marsala o altro liquore e lasciatele riposare per un paio d’ore.

Quando siete pronti a completare la preparazione, riscaldate il forno a 180 C. Foderate il fondo della teglia con carta da forno. Stendete la pasta frolla in un circolo di 3 mm di spessore e foderateci la teglia fino a coprire il bordo, aiutandovi con della farina bianca per evitare che si attacchi al piano di lavoro o al matterello. Bucherellate il fondo in alcuni punti con una forchetta. Distribuite le fettine di prugna in uno strato compatto. Conservate il loro sugo. Mettete la crostata in forno e cuocete per 20 minuti, controllando che non si gonfi. Se accade, con il dorso di una forchetta e con mano leggera, far abbassare la superficie che si è sollevata.

Nel frattempo, mettete nel robot da cucina: 350 g di fromage blanc, 65-70 g di zucchero, mezzo cucchiaino di estratto di vaniglia di ottima qualità, il sugo delle prugne e un uovo leggermente sbattuto. Fate andare il robot fino ad ottenere una crema omogenea. La consistenza della crema che ho ottenuto io era tale da non richiedere l’uso di un addensante. Se usate un formaggio più liquido, potete aggiungere mezzo cucchiaio (7,5 ml) di amido per dolci. Versate la crema sopra le prugne e distribuite in modo uniforme. Se la consistenza è giusta, la crema non deborda. Mettete in forno per 20 minuti e poi controllate. Se necessario, tenete in forno più a lungo. La crostata è pronta quando la crosta è dorata e la crema di copertura si è rappresa. Togliete la crostata dalla teglia, lasciatela freddare e gustatela.

Aggiornamento: Da quanto ho pubblicato il post, ho fatto questa crostata diverse volte. In un’occasione ho usato pere bio del nuovo raccolto (non sbucciate). Ho gradito il risultato, che è una variazione speciale del tema formaggio con le pere.