29 June 2007

Kale-Spinach Strombolli Infused with Lemon and Nutmeg

Okay, now seriously this might sound really weird to those of you who've never had to deal with five thousand pounds of kale.

But when the fresh, seasonal produce gods are attacking you, the only options are flee or adapt.

So we adapted.

And actually I think I might have found nirvana. Well, at least momentarily -- then I got indigestion from overeating and was sucked right back into the land of the living.

The Carnivore liked it. The kids overate it, too. So I'm guessing this one is a go.

This recipe is a direct homage to great Italian cooking. The classic combination of fresh lemon and nutmeg underscore the nutty Parmesan cheese, and the mildness of fresh mozzarella tempers the bite of the garlic and kale. Serve this with plenty of great pizza sauce.


Kale-Spinach Strombolli infused with Lemon and Nutmeg

Filling
1 lemon, very, very finely sliced (paper thin)
1 tsp nutmeg (or appx grated from a 1/4 fresh nutmeg)
1 Tbsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper (we use papaya seeds)
6 cups kale, chopped into small pieces
2 cups fresh spinach
1 onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp fresh basil, sliced into thin strips
1 tbsp fresh oregano
pinch crushed red pepper

8 oz Part Skim or Fresh whole-milk mozzarella
8 oz really good parmesean cheese (we like block parmesean, freshly grated)

Gluten-Free Strombolli Dough
1.5 c warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups Better Batter All Purpose flour or a really good cup-for-cup substitute
1 teaspoon salt

extra flour

Instructions
IN a heavy skillet, saute the filling ingredients. Meanwhile mix up the strombolli dough.

IN the bowl of your mixer, combine the water, yeast, sugar, oil, flour, and salt, and beat on high for three minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

On a baking sheet, lay out a sheet of parchment paper, and coat it with a layer of flour -- about 1/8 inch thick or a little thicker. Wet your hands and spread the dough batter out until it covers about a 9x13 inch area.

Top with 1/2 of the cheeses, then spread the filling mixture over the cheese, leaving an inch margin on all sides. Top with remaining 8 oz cheeses.

Take the edge of the parchment paper and flip it up so that the dough rolls over to touch the other side. You may want to be gentle doing this, so that your filling doesn't fly everywhere and your dough doesn't stick.

Wet your hands again and mush the edges of the strombolli together to seal, rolling up slightly.

Let rise on baking sheet about 30-45 minutes.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour or until golden brown. Let sit for five minutes before slicing open.





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