Ramp Farinata Recipes

HOW TO MAKE FARINATA

Steps:

• Combine garbanzo flour and water in a bowl; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours. Skim as much foam as possible from top of batter. Whisk salt, rosemary, and 3 tablespoons olive oil into batter.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over high heat and heat until smoking hot. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil in skillet and swirl to coat bottom of skillet with oil. Continue to heat until oil shimmers and a wisp of smoke rises from oil.
• Quickly pour batter into hot oil; carefully transfer skillet to preheated oven.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is browned and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer immediately to a plate, cut into wedges, and serve hot. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper.

RAMP PESTO

Steps:

• Pulse ramps in a food processor until finely chopped. With motor running, pour in oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. To store, transfer pesto to an airtight container, pour a thin layer of oil over top, and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

RAMP FARINATA

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine chickpea flour and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Slowly whisk in water until a smooth batter with no lumps forms. Whisk in 2 tablespoons oil. Let stand, covered, at room temperature at least 1 hour, or refrigerate up to overnight. Whisk before continuing.
• Thinly slice ramp bulbs, chop stems, and keep leaves whole. Heat a large skillet over medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and ramp bulbs and stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to soften, 4 minutes. Add leaves and a pinch of kosher salt; cook, tossing, until wilted, 2 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place three 8-inch cast-iron pans in oven for 15 minutes. Remove pans from oven; swirl 1 teaspoon oil into each. Divide batter among pans and top each with one-third of ramp mixture. Bake until cooked through and golden brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Dollop with pesto and season with flaky salt; serve.

FARINATA WEDGES

Steps:

• Whisk chickpea flour, salt and pepper in large bowl to blend. Whisk 1 3/4 cups water and 1/4 cup olive oil in medium bowl. Add water mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until batter is smooth. Cover; let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Preheat broiler. Thoroughly coat 12-inch-diameter ovenproof skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour half of batter into skillet, tilting skillet to spread evenly. Broil until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 450°F. Transfer skillet to oven and bake farinata until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 3 minutes. Cool. Run spatula around sides of skillet to loosen farinata, then slide out onto cutting board. Repeat with second half of batter. Cut each farinata into 6 wedges.
• *Available at Middle Eastern markets and some natural foods stores.

LIGURIAN FARINATA (SAVORY ITALIAN PANCAKE OR FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, add the flour to the water, a little at a time, mixing and seasoning with salt until all of the flour and water has been absorbed; Add Optional Rosemary at this point.
• Let it rest for 4 hours (Or even better overnight).
• After this time, a layer of foam will have developed on the surface - Scrape it off with a spoon.
• Add the olive oil and remove the Rosemary (Optional) - Stir until all the Oil is absorbed.
• Pour into an olive oil well greased baking pan - the right one is called testo, made of "tinned copper" It should be about an eighth of an inch thick, perhaps a little more - a small deep dish Pizza pan will do (We used an iron skillet).
• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Remove from the oven when one of the corners (or the edge) starts to appear dark and has turned a golden color.
• Sprinkle plenty of pepper and eat immediately.
• ***It is of paramount importance that the pan is perfectly flat and level when in the oven, otherwise one of the corners will be thicker and will be undercooked when the opposite corner starts to darken. It tends to stick if you do not use enough oil. Also use parchment paper.