Farinata, a gluten-free treat

Yesterday, I told you about the farinata I made. Last night, I made another batch and I am now pleased with my recipe and ready to share. The farinata is an Italian flatbread, made from chick pea or garbanzo bean four. It is a simple recipe, baked in a hot oven and generally eaten as a snack, especially in the province of Liguria, Italy.

I thought it would really be great as a substitute for wheat based flat breads or tortillas for people who are on a gluten-free diet. There is no gluten in garbanzo bean flour and it is amazingly fine -- great for baking. The flavor is like a mix between corn and wheat but there is no graininess. The texture is really nice. If you are afraid it tastes like beans, don't be afraid. It is surprisingly tasty.

Back to last night. I made two farinata flat breads. One was like the night before.

I turned it out onto a plate. It is perfect!

Then I thought about my dinner. What can I do? I added some basil to the batter.

I oiled my pan again, and reheated it in the oven. A seasoned iron skillet is supposed to look this way. If it doesn't, it is not well-seasoned!

I poured the batter in the pan. It was nice and sizzily (Is that a word?).

I checked it after about five minutes. Not done yet.

A beautiful flat bread. Ready to finish my dinner. I didn't want it to get too brown. You will see why.

I sauteed some zucchini with green onions in a little olive oil.

I topped the farinata, still in the pan with the zucchini. Marinara would have been a great idea.

But, I added sliced tomatoes.

A little chopped kale, spinach would have been good. I topped it all off with some veggie cheese. This cheese has some milk solids in it, so I can't really say it is vegan but it is vegetarian.


There you have it. My dinner was a pizza made with a farinata. I baked it at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. It was really great. My husband wants me to make it with marinara and even more toppings next time. I might make it half and half for him. Half vegetarian and half regular. It was wonderful like it is. I served him a cup of Select Harvest tomato soup and he was in heaven.

My recipe for farinata:

1 cup chick pea/garbanzo bean flour (I used Bob's Red Mill and I bought it at Whole Foods but Kroger and Publix do carry Bob's Red Mill products)
1 3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon water

Mix together and allow this to sit overnight or for at least three hours. I don't know what this does, but this evidently what they do in Italy. It can get bubbly.

Add 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Heat oven to 500 degrees. (If your oven is hot, you might try 400 degrees first.)
Heat a skillet or pan in the hot oven. Take the pan out of the oven and oil with 1 to 2 teaspoons of oil. Put the pan back in the oven for about a minute.
Pour half of the batter into the pan. It will sizzle. Immediately put it back into the oven.
Let it cook about 10 minutes until it is done. Watch carefully so it doesn't get too brown.
Repeat with the second half of the batter.

Eat immediately. Some add black pepper and spices. This is a great gluten-free recipe.